Monsters Under The Bed
by FatalBlow
Summary: One little girl's over active imagination begins a small midnight adventure. A collection of short stories. Warning: Rin has a potty mouth.
1. Monsters Under The Bed

It was a cool summer night in the Sereitei. After the unbearable drought Soul Society had to endure, the land seemed to sigh in relief as a storm rumbled over head, ready to unleash itself. Everyone would sleep well that night. It'd been ages since they'd been able to get comfortable because of the heat. There was one person that was awake, however.

Byakuya was awoken by a tug at his sleeve. He opened his eyes, blinking the sleep out of them until he could see the person standing beside the bed. It was a little girl. She had shoulder length black hair that curled a little at the ends. It was ruffled from sleep. She was wearing a pink kimono with pretty little flowers on it. She clutched a soft, white bear to her chest. She was looking at him with familiar blue grey eyes.

"Oto-chan?" She whispered when she saw him open his eyes.

The noble Captain groggily propped himself up on one elbow. He was careful not to disturb his wife, Asaje Rin. He didn't need to worry. Even though she was a fairly light sleeper, that night she slept like the dead. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and, most likely, from the mission she had returned from the morning of that day.

"Is something wrong, Maea?" Byakuya asked his daughter.

She rarely came to their room, even when she had the occasional nightmare. She was well aware that, usually, her parents' room was off limits. She usually waited until morning to tell them. Maea definitely had the patience that neither of her parents had possessed at her age. It made him wonder where she got it from.

She most likely got it from Daisuke, though. Since she was young, Maea had practically worshipped the tall man. She wasn't the type of child who liked playing outside like her brother and sister, but whenever Rin's old friend stopped by she was more than willing to let him drag her out to visit and play. Though the man wouldn't admit it out loud, Byakuya was sure that Maea was his favourite of the three Kuchiki children.

Rin had told him not to give her special treatment, since Daisuke would often take just Maea out on short expeditions into Rukongai. However, whenever he asked Maea's older siblings, Shizuku and Kaiyin, they refused unless he promised them swimming or ice cream. They never seemed jealous of little Maea, either, so Rin and Byakuya had decided not to worry too much.

"Can you check under my bed for monsters?" Maea murmured.

He sighed. The girl slept on a simple futon. He and Rin had agreed that she would get a proper bed next year, when she turned five. Byakuya wondered where she could have possible gotten the idea of monsters, but he had his suspicions. He carefully got up and grasped the little girl's hand, leading her out of the room.

"Who told you about monsters under your bed?" He asked. He had taken her out of the room so they didn't wake up Rin, who would have been less than pleased.

"Kaiyin said that they were there, ready to eat me when I fall asleep," she replied.

Of course. Kaiyin, their oldest child, took after her mother. He wasn't surprised that she had decided to scare her little sister with stories of monsters.

"Maea, you sleep on a futon. The monsters wouldn't be able to fit beneath it," he said in a gentle voice as he opened the door to her room and led her inside. He carefully picked his way around the various toys on the floor, reminding himself to have Maea clean her room.

"But what about really flat monsters? They can fit. You'll check for me, right? They might eat me if I do it," Maea pleaded.

"All right," he agreed.

Byakuya knelt beside the futon, while Maea hid behind him. Even if it was Kaiyin who started most of these midnight missions, it was Maea's overactive imagination that always blew it way out of proportion. He lifted the edge of the bed and made a point of looking under it.

"Nothing. You are safe," he told her, setting it by down again. She hugged him.

"Thanks, Oto-chan." He smiled at her before tucking her under the light blanket. He was about leave, but she grabbed his hand. "Oto-chan? Can you stay with me? The monsters might be invisible, but you're really strong. If you're here, then the monsters will never be able to get me."

"Of course, Maea," he gave in. "I won't let the monsters get you." The little girl always knew how to get him to agree, though he didn't let her win as much as Rin did.

He lay down beside his daughter, letting her snuggle up to him. Their breathing soon deepened as they fell asleep.


	2. What Is Love

**What Is Love**

Out of all three Kuchiki children, Maea was, by far, the most curious. Everyone in her family often struggled to deflect certain questions. Her parents, Rin and Byakuya, her 'uncle', Daisuke, and 'aunt', Aika, were all interrogated almost daily. Even as the girl grew up, she didn't grow out of her thirst for knowledge.

She wanted to know how the world worked, and would often take apart and put back together small devices and electronics. She would conduct her own little experiments to test things. As the years passed, people became her subjects just as often. Fortunately, the line between which answers to her questions were appropriate or not dissolved, as well.

That didn't make some of her questions any less hard to answer, however. Maea was barely in her teens when she approached her mother. With her older siblings staying at the Shino Academy while they attended classes, the young girl often found herself bored on the days they weren't visiting. This usually resulted in her sticking to the person that was home at the time. Today, that was Rin.

Her mother was leaning against a large tree overhanging the koi pond, working on one of her carvings. This one was a bird, an owl, in flight. She was touching up the feathers on the wings when she was finally alerted to her daughter's presence. She didn't know what to expect this time around. It definitely wasn't the next words that came out of her mouth.

"Oka-chan, is it possible to love more than one person in your life?" she asked. "Not like family love, but, like, being _in love_, you know? Like the way you love Oto-chan. Could you love someone else like that?"

"Yes," came the short answer.

Rin promptly returned to her carving. Though her words were meant to dismiss, Maea remained. She felt that her question hadn't truly been answered. To her, this wasn't a simple yes or no question that her mother seemed to think it was.

"How do you know?" she said accusingly. "Did you love someone before Oto-chan?"

Her words were not meant to be as harsh as they sounded. Maea immediately wished that she could pluck the words that hung in the air out of it and tuck them away never to be heard again. She felt even more terrible when Rin looked up at her with a stricken look on her face. Her daughter opened her mouth to apologize. The older woman spoke first.

"Yes. I did," she said quietly, looking down to study her carving with false scrutiny. "His name was Terrace."

Maea stared at her mother in shock. She tried to imagine this man. But she couldn't even do that, much less imagine her _mother_ with him. Neither could she imagine her mother _loving_ someone other than Oto-chan. She didn't really know what she felt about that. A sense of betrayal, perhaps? Or maybe intrigue? She was most definitely curious about this man.

"I met him in Rukon," Rin continued. "I was having troubles with some guy, and he just sidled up and got rid of him just like that. I didn't even thank him, especially when he started following me. He came from the kinda place that, back then, depicted women as weak. I hated him because he thought he needed to protect me."

Though she scoffed, she spoke about the man with a smirk and a sense of fondness in her voice. Maea giggled when she heard about how Terrace thought her mother was weak. She had learned long ago that her mother wasn't the damsel in distress that she so often read about in the books Daisuke lent her. Her thoughts were that Rin was strong and didn't need anyone at all to 'protect' her.

"But damn, he always knew what to say. It didn't help that the bastard had good looks he didn't deserve. No one should be allowed to be that charming and hot. He was a good man, though. He never used his silver tongue for anything bad, though I use the word 'bad' lightly," she laughed.

"He was ambitious, though. Living a simple life just wasn't his style. He always strived for something better. He told us, a ragtag bunch of thieves, that we'd make our own family one day and become one of the great noble families. We laughed at him, of course. Some part of me thought that he could do it, though. If only he'd had the time.

"Terrace was also the biggest, stupidest, dumbest, jackass of a jerk in the entire fucking world. Fuck, he was so frustrating. Got on my fucking nerves then laughed every time I'd tell him to fuck off," she growled. "But he was my big, stupid, dumb, jackass of a jerk. He didn't deserve a lot of the things he had, but he did deserve a longer life."

"Did you love him more than Oto-chan?" Maea whispered. Afraid of the answer.

"Love is immeasurable," Rin said with a shrug. "So I couldn't tell you. But I'm glad I've got another big, stupid jerk here, now. Terrace isn't a man that can be replaced, but neither is Byakuya. I'm glad that I've been with them both. Even if I didn't deserve either of them.

"Now scram, kid." Rin made shooing motions with her hands. "Days off should be so I can do stuff I want to do, not fill your empty head with stories of dead people."

"Suke-ji said that you can learn from stories!" Maea protested.

"That's because his empty head got filled with stories of dead people!" Rin snapped. "Do you _want_ to end up like Daisuke?!"

"Yes! Suke-ji's the best!"

"What?! Bullshit! I _gave birth_ to you, so I'm the best! Ugh, you'd think that you people would be more grateful! I can't wait till you're in Shino Academy. I won't have to listen to your ungratefulness if you're all the way over there," the older woman muttered. Maea grinned widely.

"But then you would miss me, Oka-chan!"

"Get lost! Stop wasting my time!"

Maea laughed and ran back to the mansion to find something else to do.


	3. Don't Mess With 'Jisan

**Don't Mess With 'Ji-san**

Kuchiki Kaiyin was lying quietly across the branch of a tree, watching the ground below with a smirk as she waited for her next victim. Her legs were wrapped around the branch to stop her from falling. In her right hand, she clutched a wooden sword that she had made with the help of her mother. She had a wooden shield across her back, as well.

She held her breath when she spotted the snowy white hair of the Squad 10 Captain approaching the tree. He was reading reports, paying no attention to his surroundings. Kaiyin forced herself to remain still, even though she wanted to spring her trap now. Her father had told her that patience was key in battle, and she was determined not to disappoint him.

Finally, after what seemed like centuries of waiting to an energetic child like Kaiyin, Toshiro was in the perfect position. With a loud battle cry, she dropped down onto him. He didn't fall right away, but he was definitely surprised. Especially when her brother, Shizuku, and the Captain's two children, Miyuki and Daiki, sprung from their hiding places, as well.

With the element of surprise on their side, the four children swiftly pinned the irritated man to the ground. Kaiyin sat on his back, grinning in smug triumph.

"We got you, 'Ji-san!" she crowed.

"I noticed," he muttered beneath his breath.

As the children were trading high fives and congratulating each other, someone nearby burst out laughing. Rin fell to her hands and knees, pointing at the prone Captain as she bust a gut.

"Look, 'Ka-chan!" Shizuku yelled. "We got him, just like you said we would!"

The brown haired woman sat back, still grinning and chuckling.

"Told you he'd be distracted," she purred.

"Asaje..." Toshiro growled, looking daggers at the woman.

These occurrences were common. All the children had aligned themselves with the Squad 5 Captain, who was one of the most lenient of the adults. She was the one they went to for ambush information. She had gone out of her way to help set up traps, as well. Especially when the traps were meant for Toshiro. Being the vindictive person she was, she commonly did this to get revenge on those who pissed her off.

And, with her third child on the way, her work days tended to be fewer and shorter. Meaning that everyone else had to suffer because of her boredom. The children, on the other hand, were more than happy to have her around more often, though. That is, when they weren't busy with lessons, among other things.

"Your Oba-chan looks like she needs to be tickled," he said to Daiki and Miyuki. "Perhaps you should help her with that."

"Oba-chan wants to be tickled?!" Daiki exclaimed, whipping around to look at the woman excitedly. Tickle fights were, by far, the most favoured of the children's games.

Rin looked at Toshiro, horrified. Her response was cut off when the hoard fell on her. The white haired Captain hauled himself to his feet and began to pick up the papers he had dropped during the attack. He smirked as he listened to Rin's hysterical laughter. She desperately tried to drag herself away from them.

"Oh my god! Stop! I'm gonna pee!" she shrieked.

"I trust you'll see my children to their lessons once you're finished, Asaje," Toshiro said as he calmly walked past.

"What?! Get back here!" she laughed. "Dammit, I'll get you back for this!"


	4. What Is Love Redux

Hey, guys, if you like these stories, check out my other story, Never Let Me Fall. It's the full story revolving around the adults; Rin, Aika, and Daisuke. FanFiction, for some reason, isn't putting it on the newly updated browsing options, so there isn't many readers. Thanks!

Warning: Rin's potty mouth.

* * *

**What Is Love Redux**

Maea was reading in her room, her fat cat, Chujo, curled up beside her, when she heard voices just outside in the hall. She looked up from her book in surprise when she heard someone enter her room. She grinned when she saw her older siblings, visiting from the academy. They even still had their school uniforms on.

She envied her older siblings, Shizuku and Kaiyin. And not just because they were in the academy years before her. Kaiyin had their father's eyes, impassive glare and all, and both their parents' tempers, making her doubly hard to deal with. Though Kaiyin often claimed that she wasn't trying to be pretty, she curled her brown hair often and dyed it with streaks of colours that she changed almost weekly. This week's colour was a sky blue.

Her brother's black hair had a natural waviness that both sisters envied of him. He grew it out long, too, making them think that he did it just to show off to them. When he didn't have it prettied up with the help of his sister, he usually tied it in a ponytail, like he did now. For the past year, he'd been carefully trimming his stubble into a bit of a goatee. Shizuku had their mother's blue eyes, but never glared. Insisting that his older sister scowled enough for all three of them.

While both of them were beautiful people, in her opinion, she couldn't help but feel that she was stuck somewhere in the middle. Her black hair curled a little at the ends, and never went the way she wanted it to. She kept it long in hopes that it would somehow settle around her shoulders as perfectly as it did for Kaiyin. It didn't. Her blue grey eyes seemed very unappealing, and she wished she had the colour her brother did.

"Shizu-nii, Onee-chan, what are you doing home? You said you weren't visiting until the weekend!" the youngest sibling exclaimed in excitement.

Kaiyin, the oldest, rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. She was leaning against the wall beside the door, while her younger brother by two years was leaning against the door frame itself.

"Stupid. Didn't anyone tell you that we're having dinner tonight with 'Ba-chan's family?" she muttered irritably.

"It's not my fault I didn't know!" Maea protested. "No one told me!"

"Whose fault is it, then, dummy?" Kaiyin shot back. Shizuku stepped between them.

"Girls, girls... You're both pretty. Now, let's stop fighting and start getting ready!"

He clapped his hands together and gave them both a wide smile.

"Shut up, why the hell should I care if I'm pretty?" Kaiyin snapped.

"Oh don't be such a Grump-A-Lump," Shizuku said with a bit of a pout. "If you're not careful, you might hurt my feelings."

"My god, can you be any gayer?! Shut the hell up!"

He held his hand to his chest, pressing the back of his other one to his forehead dramatically.

"You wound me, 'Nee-chan!" he exclaimed.

"You weren't complaining like this when you asked for help with your hair before your date with Jun. Next time, you can do it yourself."

He seemed to deflate at that.

"Well...fine. Maea-chan will help me, then. Right, Maea-chan?" He fluttered his eyelashes at his younger sister and gave her the puppy eyes.

"Don't drag me into this," she responded. "Why can't you two fight outside my room? I still need to get ready."

Shizuku straightened at the reminder, his eyes going wide.

"That's right, and Daiki-kun will be there!" he exclaimed. "I must look my best!"

He dashed out of the room, leaving his sisters alone together. Kaiyin groaned, slapping her hand to her forehead.

"Good god, why am I related to him? It's bad enough I have to be seen in public with him!" she groaned before she, too, left the room.

Aika and Toshiro had a son and a daughter, Daiki and Miyuki. Daiki had his father's white hair, but his mother's curls, violet eyes, and dark skin. Miyuki was born with black hair which quickly turned white by the time she reached adulthood. She had her father's turquoise eyes and pale skin. Both children had outgrown their parents, but were still considered short by shinigami standards. Daiki was 5 feet 2 inches, while Miyuki was 4 feet 11 inches.

For their visit, they had both dressed up in fine clothing. Miyuki was Kaiyin's age, and they were both in their fifth year of the academy. They shared many classes together and, having grown up with one another, were good friends. Even though they butted heads often. Daiki had graduated a few years before, and was the oldest by about five years.

Like his father before him, Daiki was quite popular with the ladies, and some of the men. Even more so, since he was more mild-tempered and approachable than the grumpy Captain. Shizuku was particularly enamoured with the older man, and did little to hide it. Maea, too, had a crush on him, but she wasn't so keen to let everyone know that like her brother was. While Shizuku was more than happy to be the centre of the spotlight, Maea hated having that kind of attention drawn to her and tended to linger around the edges.

"Hey there, precious," Daiki greeted her with a friendly smile as soon as he stepped into the mansion with the rest of his family. "Got any questions for me today?"

Daiki saw himself in Maea. He, too, had been constantly asking questions of those around him.

"Not yet," Maea told him. "I haven't thought of any."

"Ah, so the one day I'm prepared, you don't have any?" he chuckled. "All right. I'd better go say hi to Oba-chan, or she might start yelling at me."

Maea watched him move on the talk with the rest of her family. Aika, Toshiro, and Miyuki all greeted her, as well. Daisuke came in last, grinning at Maea when he saw her. She grinned back, happy to see that he came, as well.

"Maea! Long time, no see. Sorry I've been busy, lately. We haven't gone out on one of our hikes in a while," he said apologetically as he scooped her up in his arms and gave her a hug.

"It's okay, 'Suke-ji. It's given me the time to finish those books you lent me. I was almost done the last one, but I had to get ready for dinner," she said, looking slightly disappointed.

"You look lovely, by the way," he murmured.

She blushed deeply. Her hair had been done up use a flowery hair piece with the help of her sister. She was wearing a fine kimono to match. Both were a lovely, lavender colour. She was about to open her mouth and deny his claims, but she was interrupted.

"Look, 'To-san! Watermelon!" Daiki suddenly yelled. "Oba-chan really does love you!"

"Shut up! Fuck you, Daiki!" Rin snapped. "If you're going to insult me, then you can get the fuck out of my mansion!"

The last comment earned her a look from Byakuya. Daiki walked over and gave her a hug, resting his head on her bosom before she could avoid him. Rin shoved him away and folded her arms across her chest.

"Don't you fucking hug me!" she snapped.

"But Oba-chan, you've hurt my feelings! Only cuddling against your bosom will make me feel better!" Daiki protested.

"Stay the fuck away from my- Wait, what? My what?!" The angry woman was bristling with anger.

"Boobies, Rin. Booooobies," Aika stressed for her.

Her friend looked between the smirking woman and her son, a look of horror on her face.

"You're both fucking sick! Why did I even agree to this?!" She cast dark glares at the sources of her irritation.

"It's obvious, Oba-chan," Daiki said. "You missed me!"

"Fuck you! All of you can just go, now!" Rin snarled.

"It's good to know that you're happy to see everyone," Daisuke cut in. His friend rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Right now, I'm not happy to see any of you. You all suck!"

"Sometimes," Shizuku said, smirking. He had just walked into the room along with Kaiyin.

"What the fuck?! My own son! Dammit, I blame you!"

Maea lingered at the edge, watching as pretty much everyone started teasing her mother. This was the norm for get togethers such as this. She hovered around the edges, not exactly partaking in the socialization. Just watching. She wasn't a fan of crowds like this, and preferred spending time with only a few people at once. So when everyone settled down for dinner, she was glad that she had a better excuse for not speaking.

She was mostly tuned out to the conversation, only joining in a little when Daisuke urged her to speak before going back to being quiet. Everyone was halfway through dinner when Maea realized just what they were talking about. Miyuki had asked about how her mother had met Rin and Daisuke, which sent them into a whole other discussion. One thing, in particularly, caught the teenager's attention.

"Suke-ji and Aika-ba loved each other?" she spoke up in surprise. It had only been vaguely mentioned that Aika and Daisuke had been in relationship, but she had picked up on it. "But how could you love someone like that then just...not?"

"Exactly what I was thinking," Toshiro said, casting a sidelong glance at Aika.

"We're better friends than lovers," the tiny woman answered.

"But I don't understand how you..." Maea trailed off, not exactly sure how to phrase it.

"Daisuke has commitment issues," Rin said.

"On the contrary, I believe that Esaki is very loyal," the short man spoke up.

Daisuke looked at Toshiro, surprised that he had come to his defense.

"Hitsugaya, did someone hit you with the baka stick this morning?" quipped the angry woman.

The white haired man shot her a withering glance before he explained.

"He hasn't committed to anyone because he's already committed to two women. One I completely understand. The other, not so much."

"I must agree with Captain Hitsugaya. You are a demanding mistress," Byakuya interjected, without a trace of jealousy. He'd accepted, a long time ago, that Daisuke was part of Rin's package.

"Fuck you! I am not!" she snarled.

Maea noticed her oka-chan didn't deny the mistress part. Daisuke looked liked he wanted to flee the table.

"Before you piss yourself, Esaki, I'm more than okay with your relationship with Aika," Toshiro said to the tall man.

"So you two didn't stop loving each other, your relationship just changed?" Maea said.

"Yes, that's a very good way of putting it," Aika replied.

"How do you know when you're in love with the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with?" the teenager asked.

"_I_ think that it's just a feeling that you are fated for each other," Shizuku purred, glancing over at Daiki with a grin.

"If that was the case, then 'To-san and 'Ka-chan would never have gotten together," Daiki said. "Though, from what I understand, that's what happened to your parents."

"Really?" Maea cast a curious glance in the direction of Rin and Byakuya.

"Saying 'fated' makes it sound like some stupid fairy tale," the angry woman muttered. "It just worked out, I guess. Ugh, kissed him once and he just wouldn't leave me alone," she added half to herself.

It gave Maea a lot to think about. She hadn't thought that relationships could be so complicated. Or that love was so unquantifiable. Just when one question was answered several more would pop up.

"Why didn't you marry Aika-ba, 'Ji-san?" Maea asked the white haired Captain.

"She didn't ask me," he deadpanned, glancing at the short woman out of the corner of his eye.

Aika smiled, giving him a nudge in the side. The other adults chuckled, it was well known to them what Aika's view were on that subject. Maea looked even more intrigued.

"Why didn't you ask her?"

"I already knew the answer to that question would be 'no'," he explained.

Toshiro watched as the girl thought about what was said. He could have volunteered the answer to her next question, but he was a firm believer in letting his children, and others, find the answers. The short Captain encouraged a thirst for knowledge.

"Aika-ba, your family is well regarded, and one of the most powerful of the minor nobility since it serves our family. Not only that, but you are a respected Captain of the Gotei 13. The first Kawasuzu in many generations to do so. 'Ji-san is a prodigy of his generation. The youngest to ever reach the rank of Captain. Why would you not want him to be added to your family?"

"You are mistaken, Maea. Toshiro _is_ family. He is the father of my children, my best friend, my partner, and my lover. The approval of the Elders would not make that any less true," the dark skinned woman explained. She paused a moment, looking down then at the man beside her. "If you truly want that, I would do so without hesitation."

Under the table, Toshiro had taken her hand in his. He squeezed her hand, making sure he had her attention.

"I'm very relieved that you've spared me the drama and politics of noble life. We made our vows to each other. I'm happy with that."

Rin had been drifting off, bored with the conversation. She perked up when the short Captain spoke.

"Wait! What?! You two eloped, and didn't tell us!"

"Yes, Rin. We went to Vegas, and were married by Elvis," Aika deadpanned.

"What?! You are dead to me!"

The short woman knew it was what the angry woman had wanted to do. It was firmly vetoed by Byakuya, though. Daiki was busting a gut, laughing. Shizuku, Kaiyin, and Maea had perplexed expressions on their faces, not knowing who Elvis was. Those expressions turned to horror when Daiki showed them a video on his phone. The youngest sibling's gaze turned to Toshiro and Aika.

"Did you really...?"

"Are you soft in the head?" the white haired Captain scoffed. "Of course not."

Everyone around the table shared a laugh. The conversation for the rest of dinner turned to less important subjects. It was a good night. The families didn't part ways until it was late, and some of them, Rin, were practically falling down drunk. Maea stayed up a while later after being sent to her room, thinking about what they had talked about. Satisfied that her questions had been answered well, she snuggled into her blankets and fell asleep.


	5. Daunting Heights

**Daunting Heights**

Kaiyin loved being up high. When she was up in one the taller trees in the garden, she felt like she could fly. She had grown out her hair for the sole purpose of feeling the wind blow through it. She smiled as she looked across the Sereitei. She had found the perfect tree. From here, she could see anything.

Without much to do at the mansion when her sensei wasn't after her for her lessons, seventeen year old Kaiyin enjoyed her time in the tallest of trees. She only did when her parents, both Captains, weren't at home, however. It was hard to say exactly how they would react if they saw her.

"'Ka-chan's and Oto-san are going to yell at you, 'Nee-chan!" Shizuku would call up whenever she did it.

"Oka-chan and Oto-chan aren't home," was always her smug retort.

Shizuku was usually out with friends, though. Maea was almost always locked away in her room tinkering with something or another or out with Daisuke on one their hikes. She never went because she thought they were boring. No, she wanted to spar, but her siblings were too weak. Miyuki was always working on her Kido and, though Kaiyin wasn't lacking in that art, it was never wise to start throwing spells at each other willy nilly.

One day, she wasn't wasn't paying attention when Rin and Byakuya decided to return home for lunch instead of going out like they usually did. She didn't expect them home that day, so she thought that she had nothing to worry out. Only when her mother's angry voice tore through the air did she realize that she was in deep shit.

"Kaiyin?! Get your stupid, little, fucking ass out of that fucking goddamn tree!" she heard her mother snarl.

The young immediately thought to ignore her. Surely she was overreacting just a little over her oldest daughter climbing a tree. It wasn't like she was going to fall, after all. And if she did, she could just land on the air, a trick she had learned a long time ago. Knowing her mother, though, that would only make things worse. Kaiyin could feel her father approaching, obviously sensing his wife's anger, and he would, hopefully, take her side in this argument.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Rin grabbed the front of her kosode and dragged her in close. Her roughness surprising her daughter.

What the _fuck_ did you think you were doing?!" she exclaimed, eyes livid with rage.

This shocked Kaiyin into silence. She'd never seen her mother _this_ angry. All she had ever seen was the mock look of irritation that she pasted on her face. Anger that was somewhat ridiculous and most definitely uncalled for, gaining her mother plenty of animosity from plenty of people. For the people around her, it was a common everyday thing that anyone could deal with.

But this anger was different. Her movements, her tone, her eyes all told Kaiyin that she had crossed some sort of line. Her mother was dead serious right now. What shook her down to the very bone, though, was the fear. Why would she be afraid of her eldest child climbing harmless trees? Surely she had done it in her youth, as well.

Instead of backing down, though, like she knew she should, the automatic reaction to talk back and start a fight kicked in. She just couldn't help it. She and her mother argued so often that it seemed to be instinct. And, once they started into it, they were hard to stop.

"What'd it look like I was doing, Oka-chan?! Drugs?!"

"Don't you fucking talk back to me, Kaiyin," Rin spat, bristling. "I wasn't asking for a bullshit answer!"

"I was climbing a tree!" Kaiyin protested.

"Not anymore you aren't," came the growling reply.

"Why the hell not?!" the young woman snapped. "It's not like I'll fall and die, dammit!"

Fear seemed to completely overtake the older woman's features briefly as she flinched. Kaiyin could almost see in her mother's the very scene she had just described as it flashed through her mind. All the breath was driven from her when Rin threw her to the ground.

"Do you think I'm fucking joking around right now,?!" she screeched. "Do I fucking look like I'm fucking joking, Kaiyin?! Stay the fuck out of that fucking tree! If I so much as see you _look_ at that damn tree, I'll flay your fucking ass!"

As the angry woman stormed back into the mansion, her movements sharp with rage, Kaiyin couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear that she _would_ be flayed if she disobeyed. It was the first time she'd ever been truly afraid of either of her parents. It was not a good feeling.

"Kaiyin?"

She looked up when she heard her father's voice. He had come a bit too late to stop the fight. She saw his eyes widen a little in surprise when he saw her face and his pace quickened. She looked down to try and hide the tears.

"What happened?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

That was all it took for her to fall apart. She grabbed him and started sobbing into his shoulder. He held her tightly, rocking back and forth slowly like he used to when she was young. Patiently waiting for her to compose herself. But it seemed that every time she was about to accomplish that, she would just start again. It took a bit, but she finally stopped. She kept her face hidden, though, knowing that she probably looked horrible.

"O-Oka-chan yelled at me for climbing the trees," she finally told him. "It's just a stupid tree, but... She was so mad! Like, madder than usual! I don't even know what's so bad about it..." She sniffled.

He was silent for a little bit, most likely playing out the scene in his mind. For a second, she thought that he may get mad at her for climbing the stupid tree, too. Finally, he spoke, his voice gentle and comforting.

"Your mother is afraid of heights," he told her. "I believe that may have caused her to overreact."

This was news to her. She'd never really considered that her parents could actually be afraid. Much less afraid almost to the point of hysteria, like her mother seemed to be of heights. Thinking that her parents were fearless was a childish thing, she knew, but it was a subconscious belief. Having someone bring to light the fact that that wasn't true was something that also brought her out of her comfort zone.

Though, now that she thought about it, her mother had always had her feet planted firmly on the ground. Whether it was during during or even a fun little game of hide and seek, her mother never took the advantage of the high ground or tricked her by hiding in the trees or on the roof that Kaiyin had learned to do. And when she did them in high places, she would look on nervously, never taking her eyes off them.

"Still didn't have to scream at me like some spaz," she muttered stubbornly.

"She was scared, Kaiyin," he told her quietly, but insistently. "I will make a point of speaking to her once she has calmed down. Go and have some lunch," he suggested.

Her father always did have a knack for getting through the frustrating woman's thick head. Kaiyin nodded glumly and left, deciding to retreat to her room.

Kaiyin didn't go for dinner that night, even when Maea excitedly came to tell her that it was meal time. She was moping in her room, instead, mad that she wasn't allowed to climb trees anymore. She already missed the view. A knock at her door made her roll over on the bed, her back to the door. She ignored it, even when it became a little more insistent.

"Kaiyin..." Rin's voice wasn't the one she wanted to hear.

"Get lost." The door opened anyways.

"Look, I'm sorry," her mother said.

The young woman sat up and looked at the other in surprise. Her mother almost never apologized to anyone, much less her children. Finally, Kaiyin relaxed, seeming to accept Rin's apology. She watched as the Captain closed the door and walked over to sit on the bed with her.

"Oto-chan said you're afraid of heights," the young woman murmured. Rin's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not- I... It's not just that. That tree's older than I am. I can hear it creaking from five feet away. All I thought when I saw you up there was that it would fall and crush you. You've been doing this for a while, haven't you?" Kaiyin nodded. "It'd kinda suck to come home and find you crushed beneath a tree, of all things," Rin explained.

"Oh. I...I didn't know..."

"Regardless, I shouldn't have freaked out like that," the Captain sighed. "You can still climb, I guess, just not that tree. We've been talking about getting it removed before it falls down on its own."

"It's okay, Oka-chan," Kaiyin said.

"I'll, uh, have to make it up to you... Or something..."

Kaiyin wrapped her arms around her mother and hugged her tightly. Rin embraced her as well and rested her cheek on her daughter's head. She apologized once more and mumbled something about taking her to the World of the Living for roller coasters, though Kaiyin was pretty sure that was more for her benefit than as an apology. It was okay, though, because she liked roller coasters, too.


	6. Itsy Bitsy Spider

PLEASE READ! Long time no see, guys! Writers block is a terrible thing, isn't it? Especially when you're so close to finishing something! It's take nearly half a year, but we are finally getting around to finishing the sequel to NLMF! Crazy, huh? We never thought we'd get there. (I'm sorry, I'm overly excited to be posting again. I love hearing about your guys' feedback! :D) So, here I have one of two short stories I plan on posting in this little collection of short stories I have going here. The second won't be released until after a certain point in the sequel due to spoilers. ;)

But I have bigger news, which I will also be putting in the first of sequel once it's out: Rin, Daisuke, and Aika will no longer be restricted to the Bleach world. Unable to leave behind these characters, whom we have grown so attached to, we have decided to give them their own original story. It's still in the planning process, but shadoesong and I are very excited to be putting out some completely original work! And don't worry, guys. Though we have decided to keep some aspects from the Bleach universe and modify them, this world we're concocting is completely different from Kubo-sensei's.

So, if you happen to be kicking around FictionPress in the (probably far) future and see a story with our characters in it, I wouldn't be too worried unless it was under a name other than shadoesong's or mine (Which is the same as here now that I've changed it to FatalBlow). So please R&R on the sequel and here and we'll tell you when and if we're going to post our original story on FictionPress. Thank you for all the support, and I hope you stick around for our future endeavors!

Now to stop rambling and let you read the story. ;)

* * *

**Itsy Bitsy Spider**

Daiki watched his excited playmates as they bounced up and down, awaiting the newest assignment the adults were giving them. As the children had been growing older, they had been given fun little activities and games, since it was clear that all the kids would continue on to enter the academy and become shinigami.

Being fifteen, Daiki was the default leader of the group. He leaned against a nearby tree, watching the adults talk. Kaiyin and his little sister, Miyuki, were five years younger than him, about ten years old. At the moment, they were butting heads like usual. Shizuku, the youngest of the group at eight, stuck close to Daiki, quietly following his example. Three year old Maea, the youngest Kuchiki, was too young to be a part of the exercise and played contentedly with one of her toys at her mother's feet.

They had all gathered on the edge of the forest at the base of Soukyoku Hill. The oldest child had noticed that the adults had brought with them two pieces of coloured cloth, one blue and the other red. He had a hunch on what game they would be playing, but he didn't mention it to the younger ones for fear of being wrong and having them cry when that happened.

"Today, we'll play Capture the Flag," Daisuke announced. His announcement was met with cheers, Capture the Flag being the all time favourite for everyone, including the oldest.

The adults gave them a quick run over rules that everyone already knew, set the boundaries, and let the kids run off to hide their flag. It was four against four, Byakuya, Aika, Daisuke, and Toshiro, since Rin was staying behind to watch her little toddler.

With Daiki in the lead, the children searched the forest for a good place to hide their flag. The adults almost always won, so they knew that they would need to find a really good place. Little Shizu was the one to find it.

"I see a cave!" he squealed. Kaiyin, the flag holder, grinned.

"Let's hide the flag in there!" she yelled.

"Wait," Daiki said, stopping the group's headlong rush into the hole that led deep inside Soukyoku Hill. "I don't think we should go in. Let's find a different place."

"Don't be a baby, Nii-chan!" Miyuki yelled.

"Baby, baby!" Kaiyin joined in. Daiki frowned.

"Fine, but let me go in first," he insisted.

They let him, but as soon as he stepped in he felt that they were making a terrible mistake. The air felt heavy, dark, and unfamiliar. The younger hardly seemed to notice, pressing on relentlessly. Even little Shizu, who idolized Daiki, had been caught up in the excitement of looking for the best hiding spot. Though the oldest wanted to leave, he wouldn't abandon them, and instead summoned a small ball of Kido, a trick taught to him by Rin, to light the way.

Suddenly, one of the girls screamed from up ahead, just beyond the reach of his light. The other two started wailing fearfully, as well. Daiki quickened his pace to see what was wrong, his heart pounding at a mile a minute. He frowned when he saw Miyuki, stuck in what seemed to be a giant spider web. The other two were nearby, huddled in each other's arms in a rare moment of comfort over rivalry.

"Don't worry, Nee-chan, I'll get you out of there," Daiki promised. Though he wasn't sure how he could without getting stuck himself.

"I'm scared, Nii-chan!" the little girl cried.

"I know, I know. It'll be fine," he assured her, tugged at the webs closest to him. They did not budge, however, and threatened to entangle his hand.

"Poor, poor, little children, lost in a big, dark cave..." a voice hissed from behind.

Daiki whipped around to face the creature that now blocked their way out of the cave. The reiatsu coming off of it, dark and sinister, made the hairs on the back of his neck rise in fear. He knew what it was: a hollow. It's lower half was that of a spider, but the upper was that of a woman, thin, wasted away, but still with power in her saggy muscles. Her mask covered the lower half of her mouth, appearing like mandibles with sharp fangs. Her black hair was thin and greasy, and her nails sharp like talons and full of dirt.

Involuntarily, the young man took a step back, accidentally getting his foot stuck in the web. He started to struggle when he heard Miyuki scream behind him. He turned to see hundreds, no thousands, of spider-like hollows scuttling towards her from every direction, crawling all over her and chittering in excitement.

"Have you come to feed my children, younglings?" the hollow purred sweetly, prowling a bit closer. Her four eyes, completely red, grinned as him. "Do you hear them calling? Are you hungry, my dears?"

"Leave us alone!" Daiki yelled, raising his reiatsu as much as he could.

The hollow made a sound somewhere between a hiss and a snarl, backing away a couple of her steps just like her children. The teen only wished that he had his sword, so that maybe he could distract them and let the others get away.

"You are surprisingly powerful for your age, child," the hollow chittered. "But not nearly enough to take me on."

"No!" Daiki yelled as she started to prowl closer. "Hado #1! Sho!" he cried, holding out his hands. The hollow screeched in surprise as an invisible force sent her stumbling backwards. She snarled at the boy, but he wasn't done. "Hado #31, Shakkaho!"

Though the explosion wasn't completely developed, it was enough to throw off his attacker. While she screamed and cursed at him, he struggled free and went to help Miyuki, who was sobbing. When he grabbed at the webs to desperately try and tear them away from her, a spider hollow burst from her shirt and latched itself onto his chest, making him yell out in terror.

His eyes widened in surprise when Kaiyin, who had grabbed a rather large rock from the cave floor, used it to smack the spider away and slam it into the ground over and over. Not wasting any time, Daiki made for Miyuki, only to be thrown to the ground when the hollow shot a web at his foot to trip him up.

"You have caused me enough trouble!" she screeched. "As punishment, I'll eat you first!"

"Help!" Daiki yelled, trying to hold onto something on the cave floor to prevent her from dragging him closer. "Please, someone help me!" he wailed.

Suddenly, the dragging stopped and he was free. He turned on his back to see his mother, almost glowing with purple reiatsu, with her sword clutched tightly in her hand. The weapon started to crackled with energy as she released it without the incantation, the electricity traveling up to hug her arm like an old friend. There was no mercy for the hollow as she slammed the weapon into it and listened to its screams as it was electrocuted to death. Daiki in fear and awe of the power he beheld, still feeling the charged air even after his mother's Shikai had been sealed and she was crouching beside him.

After she did a brief, wordless check for his injuries, she rushed over to her daughter. By now, Byakuya, Daisuke, and Daiki's father had arrived. The first two ran over to Kaiyin and Shizuku respectively, while Toshiro came to check his son. Daiki grabbed him in a tight hug, still shaking with fear, and it was quickly returned.

"They're okay," Aika finally said, relieved. She was holding her crying daughter in her arms, just as Byakuya was his. Only Shizuku wasn't crying, trying to follow Daiki's example as always. His lip still quivered, though, and he clung to Daisuke as if holding on for his dear life.

"No hollow should be inside Sereitei," Toshiro muttered. "They'd never get past the Sekisekki barrier unless they went through the gates."

"It might be one of Aizen's experiments," Daisuke suggested.

"That seems to be the most likely option," Byakuya agreed. "Let us take the children to the mansion, they can rest there."

The others were quick to pick up the kids and disappear, but Toshiro and Daiki followed more slowly. The boy's head hung in shame at not stopping everyone from going into the cave, and then again when he wasn't able to protect him from the terrifying creature.

"I'm sorry, 'To-chan," he murmured. "I shouldn't have let them go in there. I should have been able to protect them!"

"It's fine, Daiki," Toshiro assured him. "It was an accident. Even we didn't know that there was a hollow in there. Much less one that powerful."

"But I knew there was something wrong with that cave! I should have made everyone go back!" he protested.

"Everyone makes mistakes. But this way you can learn from your mistakes. No one got hurt, and now you know better. We've learned a lesson too, though. Not even Sereitei is safe, especially what with Aizen's experiments still running around like that," Toshiro said the last part in a growl. "We'll start mixing the teams from now on to prevent accidents like this."

"I'm still really sorry, 'To-chan," Daiki apologized again. Toshiro sighed.

"I know. Why don't we get some watermelon to bring back to Kuchiki's mansion? Just to help everyone calm down," the Captain suggested, knowing that his son liked watermelon just like he did.

"Okay, 'To-chan," Daiki agreed, finally smiling.


	7. The Interview Part 1

So I have another thing for you guys, but much longer. And since it's so long, I've decided to break it up into parts and post them as I finish them. Since I consider it a 'short story', or at least a story that takes place away from the main story, I'm posting it here. This actually takes place after the sequel we're planning, but there aren't any spoilers (or at least ones you hadn't already predicted). So please, review and tell me how I'm doing!

* * *

Daisuke, Rin, and Aika sat in the former's office with Daisuke's Lieutenant, Hisagi Shuuhei. Rin was sprawled across the couch, asleep, while Daisuke and Aika were lounging in chairs on either side of her. Hisagi was sitting behind the desk, typing something into a laptop. They had all gathered for an interview the Lieutenant had found on the Internet and decided to do it together. The Squad 9 members were even considering putting it into the Sereitei Bulletin.

Since the interviews were so long, Daisuke figured they would only be able to do one or two in a day. His was going to be first, with Rin's second. Aika had tagged along for fun and for added commentary. Rin hadn't exactly come willingly, so Byakuya had helped them get her into the office before they locked the door. He told them that the spell should wear off soon and she'd wake up.

"Here it is, Captain," Hisagi finally spoke up, looking over the top of his laptop at the tall man. "Everything's ready on my end. Did you want to start?"

"How many questions, again, Hisagi-san?" he asked.

"Over 200, sir. Since there were so many, I set up a recorder to catch anything I happened to miss," he nodded towards the device sitting on the desk closer to the three Captains. "And we'll probably only get through yours and Captain Asaje's today."

"Okay, good. I don't think we'll be able to get Rin back in here if we don't fit hers in today," he said, relieved.

"That's for sure," Aika said, amused. "And I don't think Byakuya-sama will be pleased to have to go through all that trouble again. Before we start, we should probably get snacks to tame the beast." She motioned towards her sleeping friend with her eyes.

"Ha, ha," Daisuke laughed, "definitely. I actually ordered delivery here. It'll come later, so we don't have to worry." He turned to his Lieutenant. "Let's start, Hisagi-san. What's the first question?"

"What is your full name?"

"My name is Esaki Daisuke." After every answer, Hisagi typed it down in the computer for future use.

"Do you have a nickname, pseudonym, or alternate identity?"

"Well, there's a couple of people who call me Suke or Suke-nii," Daisuke said after a moment of thought, "But I either don't see them much or they just don't call me that anymore." Aika looked over at him curiously.

"Who calls you that?" she asked.

"Dakota-nii does," Daisuke told her with a shrug. "Next?"

"How tall are you?" Hisagi continued. The other man frowned.

"You know, I don't actually know. Over six feet, as a rough estimate, but I've never really bothered with measuring that," he replied.

"And weight, Captain?"

"I've never weighed myself either," Daisuke told him.

"What kind of build do you have?"

"Are a lot of these questions about appearance?" Aika asked, cocking an eyebrow at the detailed description that the interview called for. Hisagi hesitated for a second before he replied.

"Ah, no. There are a few different categories, Captain Kawasuzu," he told her. "The first just happens to be description, but the others are vital statistics, family, personalty, abilities and traits, relationships, history and influences, beliefs, personal tastes and opinions, self image, key social influence, and the last is goals and dreams."

"Okay. Thank you, Lieutenant. I'm sorry for interrupting."

"Oh, uh, it's okay, Captain," he said, a little flustered. "Um, Captain Esaki, would you like me to re-ask the question?" Daisuke shook his head.

"Oh no, don't worry, I have my answer. I would say that I'm quite thin, but that mostly stems from my old Rukon lifestyle. I'm not used to being able to eat whenever I want to," the dark man said.

"It's a wonder Rin survived!" Aika interjected. Daisuke laughed.

"I keep myself fit, so I guess you could say I'm muscular, too," he finished his answer.

"Quite," Aika purred, casting a knowing glance his way. Daisuke blushed and looked away bashfully, while Hisagi pretended he hadn't heard anything and read out the next question.

"Describe your hair. What colour is it and what style do you keep it in?"

"Very dark brown, black in some lights. It's kept in dreadlocks, and I like to put them in a ponytail. Especially when they're long like right now," Daisuke replied, grasping a loose tendrils to study as he spoke.

"What colour are your eyes?"

"Dark brown," he replied, releasing the tendril and propping his foot up on his knee.

"What is your ethnicity?" was the next question. Daisuke furrowed his eyebrows in thought. Then shrugged.

"I don't know, I can't remember, if I knew it at all. All I know is that I have darker skin than most people," he finally admitted.

"Rin's not going to like this interview," Aika remarked. Daisuke nodded.

"Do you have any unusual physical features?"

"A scar on my face, and I completely lost my eye during the Ryoka invasion. I keep an eye patch over it, since it's not pretty," he chuckled a little, not all too concerned over the loss of half his sight and half his face. "I don't think there's anything else, though."

"Are you considered attractive?" Hisagi asked after typing down the answer.

"Yes," Aika answered for him, making the man blush once more.

"What kind of accent do you have?"

"Um, the same as everyone else, I guess?" came the confused reply. Daisuke gave Hisagi a bemused look, but the other man only shrugged and murmured something about skipping some of the more ridiculous questions.

"Do you have a favourite quote or saying?" Hisagi asked.

"No, not anything I say a lot," Daisuke replied with a shrug.

"Do you have any allergies, diseases, debilitating injuries, or other physical weaknesses?" The tall Captain frowned and hesitated a little, wondering if it would be wise to say in case anyone who could use that against him would be able to read it.

"Well, besides being blind on the right side, which is a bit tough when opponents take advantage of that, I've never worked much with Kido. I've been training to overcome those weaknesses though," he decided it wouldn't be too bad to say that much.

"Any scars, tattoos, or birthmarks?"

"Well, besides my scar," he motioned towards the one that disappeared beneath his eyepatch, "I have a few others here and there that I got from Rukongai. Unohana-sempai does a good job of healing any that I get now, though," he told him.

Hisagi nodded and typed it down. He made a face at what Daisuke assumed was the next question and promptly skipped over it.

"What is your preferred style of dress?" Daisuke looked down at the uniform he was wearing at the moment before replying.

"Anything comfortable, really, which is usually my shihakusho. I like wearing shorts and stuff like that, though. Especially when I'm out on a hot day," he replied.

"Do you wear glasses or contact lenses? If so, are you nearsighted or farsighted?"

"Neither."

"Are you right-handed or left-handed?"

"Mostly right, but my Shikai calls for me to be ambidextrous."

"Exactly how old are you, Captain?"

"Exactly?" Daisuke looked up in thought for a second, counting in his head. "Well, my birthday's coming up soon. I'm about 129 years old now. I'm surprised I haven't lost count."

"When is your birthday?"

"May 4, just a week away, isn't that right?" Hisagi nodded. "That was the day I met Rin," he mused half to himself. Aika looked over at him.

"So you don't remember what it used to be, then?" she asked. He shook his head.

"It's all blurry. I only really remember the more emotional things. The look on my mother's face when she heard of my father's death is one of them," he said. "I didn't even remember my own name when I got to Rukongai. Ryu-san had to give me a new one."

"Maybe it's due to the circumstances of your death?" Aika suggested, almost as if asking how he died. He shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't remember that, either. Something best forgotten, though." The small woman nodded in agreement.

"Where were you born?" came the next question once they'd finished talking.

"I don't remember that, either. I'm pretty sure I lived on a farm, though," he said thoughtfully, trying to recall his life before. "All I know is that I'm an old soul, so I was born in the World of the Living. When I died, I was sent to north Rukongai."

"And where do you live now?"

"Just my Captain's quarters," the dark man said. "I sometimes stay at Kuchiki Mansion if Rin happens to insist."

"You two and your slumber parties," Aika teased.

"You're always invited," Daisuke offered. The small woman laughed.

"I'm sure Byakuya-sama has his hands full with you two alone."

"We don't cause that much trouble. Unless Ichiami-kun is around," he added. "Then Rin causes lots of trouble..." Aika smirked.

"Thank you, Daisuke. I'll keep your invitation in mind for next time," she said.

"Ready to move on, Captain?" Hisagi asked.

Daisuke was about to nod, until they all saw their sleeping friend stir. The angry Captain raised her head drowsily, looking start over at Aika.

"What the fuck?" she muttered, still sleepy.

"Next question, Hisagi-san," Daisuke urged, not about to disturb his friend until she was more awake.

"Do you belong to any exclusive groups?"

"Other than the Gotei 13, Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon wants me to join the Shinigami Men's Association," he replied.

"Don't," Rin slurred. "'T's worse than woman's..."

"Don't worry," he assured the woman. "I told him that I think I'd hold off on it."

"Why're we talkin' 'bout this?" the angry woman growled, turning on her back. "Where am I? What happened?"

Aika offered to explain while Daisuke continued the interview. He agreed and motioned for Hisagi to continue on with the next question.

"What social class do you belong to?"

"Commoner? Soldier, maybe? I'm not quite sure. I'm not a noble, though, that's for sure," he replied.

"That answers the next question, then," Hisagi murmured.

"I do have a lot of friends with noble titles," Daisuke input. Aika paused in her explanation to speak.

"Me, Rin, Byakuya-sama..." she counted them off on her fingers, "You're right."

"It surprised me, too, when I counted them all," Daisuke replied. She laughed a little and returned to her explanation.

"Do you have a criminal record?"

"I probably should. Rin and I performed assassinations, among other things, for kan while we were in Rukongai. And we weren't exactly quiet about it, either. Either it was overlooked or completely erased when we went into the Academy. Regardless, I'm not very proud of it," Daisuke told him.

"I have friends in high places," Rin piped up, sounding a little more awake.

"You have friends?" Aika said in mock disbelief, turning her friend's annoyance on her as Hisagi asked the next question.

"Who are or were your parents? Tell me about them."

"My mother..." Daisuke began, looking thoughtful. "She was an old widow. I barely remember her, but I know she became quite frail after my father died. I'm not sure how he died, though. Like I mentioned before, everything's foggy. Unlike my mother, my father is a complete mystery to me. I only know that he simply existed, that's it.

"When I came to Rukongai, though, Ryu-san became like a mother to me. Or at least in the time I knew her. She was always cranky and had the best –and worst– ways of teaching Dakota-nii and I about the ways of Rukongai. She was a very strict teacher, but I'm grateful for everything she ever taught me.

"Y'know, she kind of reminds me of Rin. Maybe they'll be alike when Rin's an Obaa-san?" he wondered, glancing over at the two women. The angry one bristled and gave him a dark scowl.

"Fuck off, Daisuke," she growled.

"Rin's going to be one of the elderly people who yells at kids to get off her lawn," Aika was immediately in on the teasing.

"No, no, she'd give the kids candy and tell everyone _else_ to get off her lawn!" Daisuke laughed.

Rin flipped each of them off. "One for you and one for you," she snarled, making them laugh harder.

Next, Hisagi asked Daisuke if he had any siblings and, if so, to describe them. The Captain smiled at the thought of having brothers and/or sisters as he thought of how to answer the question.

"When I was alive, I had two younger brothers," he finally said. "Though they're probably passed on by now. I do sometimes wonder if I'm an uncle, but don't know about it. Or maybe if they're wandering around Rukongai, even wondering if they'll find me. I've thought about trying to find them before, but I wouldn't know where to even start.

"After I came here, though, Dakota-nii kind of filled the place my two brothers left behind. He runs our old shop down in Rukongai right now, but we've grown apart in recent years," he murmured, he smile fading.

"You should visit him sometime," Aika said, resting a hand on his shoulder. She was now sitting between him and Rin on the couch. "I'm sure he'd love to see you." Daisuke sighed.

"Maybe. I don't know, it's been a long time. We didn't part ways on good terms, either. He never did want me to be a warrior, much less a shinigami. He didn't take it well at all when Rin and I joined the Shino Academy, saying that she'd 'corrupted' me. When I came to apologize, he wouldn't even open the door. I haven't really tried since."

"Pfft, good riddance, I say!" Rin snarled. Aika gave her a look.

"Not now, Rin," she said.

"No, it's fine," Daisuke interjected before Rin could retort. "They've never liked each other, so I can't expect anything more."

Hisagi then asked about his grandparents, but the Captain only shook his head.

"My grandparents probably died before I was even born in the World of the Living. If they

were around, I can't remember them," he said. Rin just shrugged, crossing her arms behind her head with a yawn.

"Couldn't have been that important then," she stated.

"In a way, I guess you're right," Daisuke said, nodding slowly in agreement.

They all took a quick break to eat the food that arrived soon after. Daisuke had been sure to order lots to sate Rin's bottomless pit of a stomach. In between pieces of pizza, the dark man answered questions about aunts, uncles, cousins, and famous ancestors, all of which he had to admit he didn't remember. Only when it came to the last question in the family section did he change his answer.

"I may have lost my family, but I consider my friends to be as such. So I would say that I'm very close to my family," he told Hisagi.

"Aw, how sweet of you," Rin said sarcastically as she finished off the last piece of her own personal box of pizza. "Any more?"

"There are Persians in the bag," Daisuke replied. "If those things don't fill you up, then I don't know what will."

"How many can I have?" the woman asked, eyes lighting up at the thought of the tasty pastry. He held up four fingers. Her shoulders sagged. "And I assume you bastards want one each too, then?" All three confirmed, and she grudgingly grabbed the one Persian she was allowed before leaving the box alone.

"Are we ready to continue, Captain?" Hisagi asked.

"Absolutely," Daisuke replied, just finishing off his own Persian.

"Right," the lieutenant said, turning on the recorder once more before continuing, "This section's on personality. Are basically an optimist, a realist, or a pessimist?"

"I always try to see the goods of all things, so I'll say optimist," came the Captain's reply.

"Are you spontaneous or do you always need to have a plan?" Daisuke laughed.

"Oh, I'd love to be able to plan, but with Rin around it just doesn't usually happen," he said, chuckling. Aika started laughing too, and the woman mentioned was bristling.

"I agree," the dark skinned Captain said.

"Oi!" their friend snarled. "I'm right here!"

"I notice you didn't deny it, though," Aika purred. Rin's eyes narrowed, but she decided not to pursue this argument.

"Do you like to take risks or do you prefer to play it safe?"

"Sometimes risks are needed," Daisuke said, perhaps a little grim, "but I'd prefer that everyone be safe, even at the expense of myself."

"Safety's boring," Rin input.

"And that's why you're always getting into trouble," the dark man said almost offhandedly. "Next question?"

"Are you generally laid back or are you inclined to worry?" The Captain looked up thoughtfully at the question.

"Hm... Well, it most certainly depends on the situation..." he murmured.

"Forget that, he's a worry wart," the angry woman growled.

"Do you like to make jokes or do you prefer to keeps things serious?" was the next question.

"Life's too short to be serious all the time," Daisuke said with a smile. "Or, maybe not the life of a shinigami, but you know what I mean."

"And how well do you work under pressure/close to a deadline?"

"Ha, well, when you work with the Sereitei Bulletin, you have to be able to work well under pressure," Daisuke said, chuckling.

"Amen to that, Captain," Hisagi said, sighing exhaustedly.

"Pfft, I hate the Sereitei Bulletin," Rin muttered, folding her arms across her chest. Aika rolled her eyes.

"You don't even read it, how could you say that?" she said. It was Rin's turn to roll her eyes, almost in mockery of her small friend.

"Like this: I hate the Sereitei Bulletin," she sniped, turning so her feet were on top of the couch and her head was hanging off the edge. It was clear that she was getting antsy.

"Do you prefer to work with your head or your hands?" Hisagi seemed to hesitate when asking this, understanding that the women may input their own perverted opinions into the reply. Already Aika was smiling.

"I prefer hands on," Daisuke said without even thinking of this. Aika's smile widened.

"Definitely," she purred. The man immediately started going red.

"Oh? And how do you know?" Rin asked, her own smirk tainting her grouchy features. Aika raised an eyebrow as Daisuke turned even redder.

"You already know, why even bother asking?" the small woman said, eyebrows furrowed.

"Guys..." the Ninth Captain interrupted. His entire face was red.

"This is why," Rin said, taking a picture with her phone. "Put that on your stupid bulletin, Daisuke."

"I-I think I'll pass. Next question, please."

Hisagi cleared his throat, pretending, as per usual, that he hadn't heard anything of the conversation just passed. "Would you call yourself a perfectionist?"

"I don't like leaving things unfinished, but disorder doesn't particularly bother me," the man replied.

"Good," Rin spat. "Perfectionist's are annoying."

"What makes you happy and why?"

"Seeing my friends happy," he replied immediately, without a second of doubt.

"And sad?"

"When I see that they're not happy, and I know that there isn't anything that I can do about it," the Captain replied, sighing.

"What makes you angry?" This took the Ninth away from his thoughts. He frowned, thinking.

"I don't really think I get angry," he finally replied. "It's just too much effort. You know, I bet that's why Rin eats so much," he directed this statement at Aika, who grinned, "she wastes all her energy on being angry all the time!"

Said woman was now sitting up with her legs folded, scowling at her old friend. "Fuck you, I'm right here."

"If I was concerned, I wouldn't have said it," he said cheekily, making the woman growl beneath her breath.

"What gets you excited?"

"Ah, learning new Hakuda techniques!" it was clear that this statement wasn't anything less than completely true, for the man was practically bouncing in place. "Learning Shunko from Yoruichi-sama has been an amazing experience."

"Is it hard?" Aika asked. "Yoruichi-sama is trying to get me to learn it, as well." Daisuke shrugged.

"A bit. You get the hang of it. The worse was actually focusing Kido power enough to do damage," he told her. She nodded her thanks.

Next, Hisagi asked him about what made him stressed. This brought a thoughtful look to Daisuke's face, as most questions did. He'd never put true thought to any of these kinds of questions and found that he quite liked it. It was as if he were exploring parts of himself he had never seen before, and he was quite interested in what he was finding.

"I'm not exactly sure," the man said after taking a while to really think about it. "Few things, nothing really sticks out. The closest I guess would be Dakota-nii. Just knowing what he thinks of me... It's something that always sits in the back of my mind."

"How about frustration?"

"I always keep a cool head and do my best not to get frustrated. Things never end well if you let anger or emotions like it cloud your mind, and thus your judgement, at the wrongs times," he found that question much easier to answer.

"Are you short tempered?"

"I've been told by a few people that I have an endless patience," Daisuke told him. "I think it's necessary when dealing with Rin. If you lose it and start fighting with her, it usually just makes things worse."

"Stop picking on me," the angry woman snarled, her eyes alight with rage.

"How could we when it's so fun and easy?" Aika laughed.

"I'll show you just how fun it is!" Rin yelled.

"Guys, don't fight. I'd like my office in good shape, not completely destroyed," Daisuke said, breaking up the fight as Rin turned away with a dark scowl.

"Captain?" The dark man looked up when Hisagi spoke to catch his attention. "How easily do you get depressed or discouraged?"

"I'm not sure, but when I do I try not to stay down for too long. 'What good can come of grief?' says Odysseus," he quoted.

"Byakuya tried to make me read the Odyssey," the angry woman mused with a frown on her face. "It was really boring."

"Even the part with the cyclops?" Daisuke said in surprise. "I thought you'd like that. It's very gory." The woman only shrugged.

"What's a cyclops, anyways?" she muttered beneath her breath. Daisuke only shook his head.

"Next question."

"When was the last time you cried?"

The dark man seemed surprised by the question. Both his friends looked over at him to study the expression on his face. Daisuke 'hmmmmed' and leaning forward so he elbows were on his knees, thinking about whether or not he wanted to skip this question. Hisagi has specified that he could in the beginning, but he had told himself that he wouldn't do so unless he really needed. Finally, he spoke.

"The first time I released Bankai," he admitted. "But I've almost cried a few times before that, though."

The next question was just as hard to answer. Hisagi hesitantly asked whether Daisuke had any fears or phobias, as question that both Aika and Rin knew the answer to. Still, he decided not to skip this one and answer anyways.

"I'm... I'm afraid of my own zanpakuto," he said. "And I'm afraid of losing loved ones." He glanced over at Rin and Aika. "I'd do anything to protect them." Fortunately, the questions started getting better after that one.

"What gives you a feeling of satisfaction or fulfilment?"

"Mastering a new Hakuda move," Daisuke replied immediately. "Getting the Sereitei Bulletin done on time is, too. I'm always afraid we'll be late again," he said to Hisagi, who nodded his agreement.

"Then it would be a good idea to include these interviews in the bulletin," Aika said. "It would give you a little less work to do."

"We were seriously considering it," Daisuke agreed, nodding.

"Sir, perhaps we could interview all the Captains and include one in each issue?" Hisagi suggested. The dark man's eyes lit up at this suggestion.

"I'm not doing your fucking interview," Rin snarled. Her friends both sighed.

"Then why are you here?" Daisuke said.

"Pah! 'Why am I here?!'" The woman bristled. "You guys locked the fucking door, I can't even leave, dammit!"

"Rin, have a Snickers," Aika cut in, earning her a confused look from the angry woman. Daisuke and Hisagi both started laughing.

"What? What the fuck? Why?"

"Next question," Daisuke interrupted, still chuckling a little.

"Do you adhere to a code of conduct which guides or restricts your actions?" Hisagi asked, also laughing a little.

"Of course. As a Captain, I'm obligated to be a good example for all shinigami. Though rules can be bent, I always try to avoid breaking them," the dark man said easily.

"Hah! Rules were made to be broken!" Rin crowed.

"No, actually, they weren't," Aika said.

"They were made to keep people like you from doing stupid things. Too bad it doesn't work," Daisuke deadpanned.

"What?! I never do stupid things!" Rin yelled, standing up on the couch to shake a fist at him.

"Rin," Aika said.

"What?!" Aika rolled her eyes to the seat cushions. "Oh." Reluctantly, the angry woman sat down and they moved on.

"Do you make promises or oaths? If so, do you keep them?" was the next question.

"I have a few, yes," Daisuke said, nodding slowly. "And I do everything in my power to keep each and every one of them."

"Do people consider you trustworthy?"

"Yes," the man said. Aika, and even Rin, were nodding in agreement.

"Do you have any secrets? If so, does anybody know about them, and how did they find out?" The Captain gave a small half smile.

"I'd love to say that I have nothing to hide, but I'm supposed to be honest with this interview," he began. "Yes, I do have my secrets, and Rin knows all of them, and I know all of hers. She didn't necessarily find out, I told her. I guess everyone needs a confidant."

"And I've kept them so far," Rin said, head raised with a hint of pride.

"Pretty good for a gossip like you," Aika remarked. Her friend shrugged.

"I don't gossip all the time," she murmured.

"Next?" Daisuke urged Hisagi on.

"List three of your quirks or other defining characteristics."

"Quirks?" the man repeated. His countenance changed to a close eyed smile and he rubbed his eyes. "Ha, ha... I never would have thought that it would so hard to answers questions about myself. Here's one: I can't sit still, does that count? I can't stand being locked in the office all day, so I try to get my paperwork done as fast as I can so I can do something active or even something I love.

"Usually after I do something active, I'll wind down and sit in my chair with a good book. Byakuya-sama recently lent me some really good ones, so I have new material to look at, as well. That would be a second, I suppose. As for my third, I don't like sake. Or any alcohol, for that matter. I'm not sure if it's a matter of taste or the fact that I don't like lowering my guard that much, but usually the only reason I'm out at a bar is to make sure everyone gets home safely."

"Really?" Aika purred with a smile. "I always thought you came for the entertainment."

"That, too," Daisuke laughed.

"Do you have any bad habits?"

"I'm a bit indecisive. Or so Rin tells me," the dark man said with a shrug. "I have commitment issues, too. Or so Aika tells me."

"You are indecisive," Rin snarled. "It's annoying."

"For once, I must agree with Rin," Aika added.

"I don't blame you," their friend replied. "Next question?"

"Do you have any good habits?"

"People tell me that I'm a hard worker," the man said after a moment of thought. "And I'm definitely no procrastinator."

Hisagi next asked Daisuke to describe a typical day/week. This brought a smile to Daisuke's face as he thought about the peaceful pace of life at the moment.

"Everyday is a new adventure when you're a Captain of the Gotei 13," he began slowly. "Whether I'm helping out in the barracks, sparring with Rin, or leading a patrol into Rukongai or the World of the Living to take care of hollows. It's always something different, and I find that I'm never bored.

"My weekends or days off usually consist of supervision over Rin, Aika, and Rangiku-san when they drink or reading a good book in my chair after some training or a hike. I've really come to enjoy my life here. I never know what's going to happen, and that's what I like most. It's definitely a lot different from Rukongai." Rin snorted.

"Rukon was funner," she scoffed. "More people to beat up and less chance of getting in trouble."

But her old friend saw through her macho act and challenged it. "If it's so terrible here, then go back," he told her.

As he thought, she just rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Too much effort," was her poor excuse.

"Do you have any special skills or abilities? If so, how did you acquire them?" Daisuke rested his chin in his hand as he thought.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it special, but I love hand-to-hand. Aika and Yoruichi-sama taught me over the years, and Rin before that. They were all good teachers, even if I kind of had to unlearn what Rin taught me. Now I have Soi-Fon giving me pointers, and we spar quite a lot. She and Yoruichi-sama have recently been teaching me Shunko, as well," he explained.

"You have your zanpakuto, as well," Aika pointed out.

"True, but I'd rather not talk about that," Daisuke said with some melancholy. The small woman nodded in understanding.

"Do you have any serious difficulties with certain skills or abilities?"

"Yes. Kido is a weakness. I've always preferred using my hands, so I learned the bare minimum to get by in the Shino Academy. If you decided to use binding Kido on me, I don't think I'd be able to escape depending on the level of the spell," Daisuke answered. Meanwhile, Rin was facepalming.

"Well fuck, why didn't I think of that? Jeez, it'd make things so much easier! Is there any Kido that can bind just your mouth?" she mused.

"You tell us, you're the Kido expert here. If you do find one, it would come in handy. It'd definitely be one worth learning, you are a bit loud, after all."

"Fuck you. I'm gonna invent fucking mouth binding Kido and I'm not going to tell you shit about it," Rin snapped, making both Daisuke and Aika laugh.

"Are you particularly athletic?"

"Yes. Even though it's required to stay in top shape in my line of work, I think I'd do everything I do now even if it wasn't mandatory." He gave a heavy sigh. "I wish I could go hiking in Rukongai as often as I used to. Before joining the academy, I had plenty of time, but now I barely have any time."

"Go during work. All you have to do is give your paperwork to spiky head over there," nodding towards Hisagi, "that's what lieutenants are for." Daisuke shook his head and Aika was pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Poor Hinamori-san," the small woman murmured.

The next questions was about sports, something that Daisuke did not participate in. He was then asked if he rode an animal or drove some sort of vehicle. The dark man mused about motorcycles, which he had admired before in the World of the Living, but decided that shunpo was better, faster, and healthier in the long run.

"Are you proficient in any martial or combative skills?" This was the question that got Daisuke bouncing in place again. He had a huge grin on his face.

"I don't like to brag, but Hakuda is my preferred style of combat and I would say that I am quite good at it. As for Zanjutsu, I'm nearly as good with a sword as Rin," he commented. Said woman grinned.

"I've got mad sword wielding skills. That's all there is to it!" she crowed.

"Are you gifted when it comes to intellectual pursuits?"

"Hm. I like to read, does that count? Both fiction and non-fiction are good. I especially like reading about those futuristic type stories, with the floating cars and going to other planets. It makes me wonder if I'll see the day when humans do achieve those things. It would definitely make our job that much more interesting. Imagine going to collect a soul from Mars." Aika was smiling with him at the thought, but Rin was scowling deeply.

"That'd just make things harder," she growled.

"But interesting in its own right," Aika added.

"Do you speak more than one language?"

"English is my first language," Daisuke said immediately. "And I do know a bit of Japanese, but not that much. Pretty much just the basics and some of the kanji, but nothing more. Enough to get by, at least."

The next question was about his memory. Though something Daisuke had never had trouble with, he did mention that his former life was the only thing. They moved on to one about his attention span, to which he replied that it depended on what he was doing at the time. Then, Hisagi asked about his Captain's sense of direction.

"I'm a lot better than Rin," Daisuke answered with a smirk. "She could get lost in a two room house. I have been in Sereitei long enough now that I know it pretty well, so I haven't gotten lost in quite a while."

"Hey! I have a good sense of direction!" Rin protested.

"No, you don't," Aika disagreed.

When asked about his artistic talent, Daisuke gave an immediate no. The question afterwards was about musical talent.

"I've never had enough interest to try. Though I am a bit curious to find out, now," he said thoughtfully.

"You have a great voice," Aika piped up, "you should use it more often."

"Nothing like yours, though," Daisuke shot back, smiling. She gave him a grateful smile in return.

"Can you dance?"

"No, not at all," the dark man started laughing. Aika started to, as well.

"I don't think any of us can!"

"Pfft," Rin rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "It's not like it's useful or anything."

"Can you cook?"

"Rin likes my cooking, but that's not saying much," Daisuke replied. "It basically means that it's better than hospital food or Rangiku-san's cooking. It's fun to do, though. I usually cook my own meals."

"Speaking of food, I'm hungry again," Rin muttered.

"Of course," the dark man said tiredly.

"Are you any good with machines or electronics?" Daisuke shrugged and shook his head, looking confused.

"They're confusing. My cellphone is about as technological as I get, and I don't even use that much," he replied.

"No one person is the most important to me right now. Rin was one of the first people that's still with me now, though. We've known each other so long, she's like the sister I've never had." The woman narrowed her eyes a little.

"Is that a compliment?" she asked suspiciously.

"It was meant as a compliment, yes," said the man. She nodded, accepting his answer.

"What do you look for in a potential romantic partner?"

"I'm not looking," came the curt reply.

"Who is the person you respect the most and why?"

"I respect a lot of people," he said, glancing over at Rin and Aika. "I respect Rin for taking her life into her own hands rather than going along with an unwanted marriage so long ago." The woman seemed a little taken aback by this as she blinked in surprise. "I don't think I could have done it. And I respect Aika for proving all those nobles wrong," the small woman gave him a smile. "But really, there's just too many to name."

"Do you have a mentor or person to look up to? If so, tell us how they influenced," was the next question.

"A few, actually," Daisuke replied. "My first mentor didn't teach me much about fighting, but instead the fundamentals for life in Rukon. Rin was my first battle mentor. She taught me battle techniques, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido basics, and how to use a katana. Aika and Yoruichi-sama later helped me refine those Hakuda and Shunpo techniques. Now, Soi-Fon always has tips to share and Rin and I always exchange new things we've learned. I still spar with Aika on a few occasions, but she spends most of her time sparring with a certain Squad 10 Captain," giving the small woman a sly look.

"He's quite a challenge to master," Aika purred. Daisuke smiled at her.

"Who is the person you despise the most and why?"

"I don't despise anyone," the dark man replied simply.

"Do you have any rivals? If so, describe the nature of your rivalry."

"You could say that Soi-Fon and I have a bit of a rivalry. We always try to outdo one another, but we're still friends," Daisuke explained. Rin snickered.

"Friends with benefits!" she added for him.

"Do you have any enemies? If so, tell us about them and why they are your enemy."

"Hm..." he frowned. "Aizen was the enemy of all Soul Society, but I never truly had a grudge against him. He never influenced me directly." His expression grew hard. "What he did to Rin, though... Needless to say, I'm glad he's been locked up for good, now."

"They should let me kill that bastard," Rin hissed.

"Isn't he immortal?"

"So? I've got mad assassination skills."

"No, you don't."

"Do you tend to argue with people, or do you try to avoid conflict?" was the next question.

"I do my best to avoid conflict. After all, Rin does all my arguing for me." He smiled at his friend, who scowled.

"Hey!" Rin yelled indignantly.

Next, he was asked how quickly he judged others. Daisuke replied that he tried to learn more about a person before judging them. The question after inquired about how long he had to know someone before he was willing to trust them. The dark man took a deep breath as he thought, not quite sure how to reply.

Finally, "I'm not quite sure. It takes a bit, I guess. I'm not one to place trust in complete strangers. At least things that require great responsibility, but I don't keep people at arms length forever until they just leave," he replied.

"Do you have a lot of friends?"

"A lot, yes, but I'm only close to a few," was Daisuke's reply.

"Who is your best friend?"

"Rin, hands down."

"I win!" said woman announced, throwing her arms into the air in victory. Aika rolled her eyes.

"It's not a contest," she pointed out.

"But I still win," Rin said contentedly.

"Do you find it easy to make friends?"

"It's pretty easy, yeah. Mostly it's other people who come up and talk to me, so I don't even have to do much."

"How well do you get along with strangers?"

"I try to get along with everyone," Daisuke replied cheerfully.

"In social situations, do you tend to take the lead, or go with the flow?"

"Once again, this depends on the situation. If there isn't a capable leader, then I'm always filling to step up," Daisuke said seriously. "But if there is and I agree with what they're doing, then I'll go with the flow."

"Do you like interacting with large groups of people, or do you prefer smaller groups?"

"I have to admit, large groups are pretty intimidating if you don't know everybody. It's usually me and a smaller group of closer friends, instead," he answered.

"If you had to be stuck on a deserted island, who is the one person you would want to have with you and why?"

"No one, I don't want to bring anyone else into my mess." Rin rolled her eyes at the typical Daisuke reply.

"And the last person?"

"Rin. Definitely Rin. She'd eat all our food supply on the first day. Then she'd probably try to stalk and eat me, too, with her 'mad sneaking skills'."

"Ha!" the angry woman pointed at him, her expression triumphant. "So you do admit that I have them?!"

"Sarcasm, Rin," Aika sighed.

"I noticed that you didn't deny the stalking and eating part," Daisuke deadpanned.

"Are you a listener or a talker?"

"A listener, I think."

"Do you like to pull practical jokes, play pranks, or tease others?"

"I tease Rin and Aika," Daisuke admitted, "but not many other people. Only those I'm close to, really."

"Not fair. What makes me so special?" Rin pouted, folding her arms across her chest.

"You tease the ones you love," Aika said happily.

"Do you like children?" Hisagi asked next.

"They're alright. Rin's the one who loves them, not me," Daisuke told his lieutenant. Rin scoffed.

"As if. Kids are stupid, annoying, messy, and a huge pain in the ass," she snarled.

"And yet you still love them!" the dark man said, his incredulous tone faked. "It's simply amazing."

"Do you like animals?" Daisuke shrugged.

"Not really. Gilepsi is good company, though, when she's calm," he replied. "It's nice to read with her curled in my lap."

"She told me that you're pretty boring to hang around with and that you never play with her," Rin decided to burst his bubble.

"That's because her definition of play involves you chasing her around and yelling curses at her," the man sighed. "If she were a normal cat, I may consider it."

"How do you relate to members of the same gender as yours?"

"Well, most of my friends are female," the Ninth Captain noted. "Byakuya-sama is nice to talk to, though. When we settle with some tea, we can span many topics within the hour."

"Members of the opposite sex?"

"Like I said, almost all my friends are women," Daisuke replied.

"That's Daisuke. Popular with the ladies," Aika purred.

"How do you relate to people from a different social class?"

"I have friends from many different social classes. However, there are some things about nobles that I truly don't understand," he said, shaking his head.

"And how do you get along with people in general?"

"Quite well, I would say," Daisuke replied.

"Are you inclined to act differently among certain people or groups?"

"Almost everyone acts different around their superiors, myself included. Rin excluded. There are things I'd say around my friends that I'd never say within earshot of someone like the Head-Captain," the man told him.

"How would you describe your childhood in general?"

"All I remember is that I was working hard to take care of my little brothers and my mother for the years before I died," Daisuke murmured thoughtfully.

"What is your earliest memory?"

"When someone, perhaps a family friend, came to the door and told us all that my father had died," Daisuke said.

"Did you go to school? If so, did you enjoy it?"

"While I was a living soul, I worked on a farm and didn't go to school from what I can remember. Shino Academy was a first for me, and it was pretty fun. Rin got us into heaps of trouble, but I guess that was part of the fun," Daisuke said, laughing at old memories.

"It was boring," Rin growled. She was now sprawled out across the couch. Or as much as she could without intruding on Aika's space. "Did you know that you have to _read_ stuff?"

"That's the reason we were there so long," Daisuke mused, "because neither of us could read very well."

"How many friends did you have when you were young? Are you still friends with any of them?"

"My younger brothers were my only friends. I assume they're in Soul Society by now, if they haven't been reincarnated," the dark man replied.

"Who was your best friend when you were young? Are they still your friend?"

"Dakota-nii was my first friend in Rukongai," Daisuke said sadly. "We haven't talked in a long time. It'd be nice if we could reconnect."

"As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?"

"I can't remember." He shook his head.

"Have you ever travelled outside of your home country? If so, to where?"

"I've gone to the World of the Living a few times, now. We've even gone to Hawaii," was Daisuke's reply.

* * *

Well thanks for reading, guys. Please review!


	8. God of War, Part 1

This was a fun little "What If?" story written by shadoesong and I. There are about eight chapters, but they don't make up another story and we never planned on finishing it, so I thought I'd share with you guys. The characters will be quite different from the ones you know in Never Let Me Fall, but I still hope you enjoy it. I will be posting a new part everyday until they're all posted (granted I remember) so I'm hoping it'll tide you all over until we've completed the sequel. DX I'm sorry we're so slow, but we have been working on it!

* * *

**God of War**

**Prologue**

_They were the rulers of the battlefield. Their enemies trembled beneath their might as the pair cut down each and everyone of them. A Captain and a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13; two of the 26 strongest shinigami in all dimensions. This was the way it must be in battle. Rather fighting separate, they were a single, cohesive unit working together to achieve victory._

_While one danced among the rebels, the other picked them off from a distance. They were a dangerous pair. This was a partnership that was known throughout all of Soul Society. The rebel army trembled in fear at the mere mention of their names. They were the demons of the Gotei 13, master killers in both blood and name._

_But even the greatest of all warriors could be caught off guard. Frantic yelling from behind caught their attention. Both whipped around in time to witness a crudely made explosive being hurtled their way. The Lieutenant, ever so loyal, flung herself in front of the Captain just as it hit the ground. Their rainy, muddy battlefield was turned into a fiery death trap within seconds._

_The Captain dragged herself through the mud. Bodies from both the rebels and the shinigami littered the ground. Only the Captain's high reiatsu allowed her to remain alive and conscious. Though not without receiving grievous injuries. Blood ran down her face, and she suspected broken bones from the force of the blast. She would live through this, though. She would fight another day. Unlike the others around her._

_Wailing of those still alive rose above the thunder that rumbled almost continuously, but the Captain was looking for one in particular. Hoping to find her partner, so they could return together. She searched for her Lieutenant's familiar yelling, but it was not among those of the dying. Fear gripped the Captain. Could she already be dead?_

_With what little strength she had left, the Captain stood and limped over to a nearby tree. Before she could reach it, though, she tripped and fell back into the mud. When she turned to see what it was, her eyes widened with horror. She had just found her Lieutenant._

_The Captain immediately checked her pulse, relief flooding her when she was able to find a heartbeat. The Lieutenant's injuries were severe, however. She wouldn't last long without medical care. This far out in the Rukon districts, there was none of that. The Captain bowed her head, unable to do anything for her fallen comrade as she lay dying. Unlike her, the second in command would not fight another day._

"_I can save her, oh Demon of War," a voice whispered into her ear. A warm hand rested on her shoulder, as well. "But if you do not do exactly as you are told, I will hasten her death and bring about yours."_

_Shock filled her. It could not be. No other man should be alive on this battlefield. No man but an exceptionally powerful one. Captain level. No, beyond that, for he sounded completely unharmed and spoke with a confidence that suggested that he could easily destroy her._

_She knew this voice, though. And the one in which it belonged to could not defeat her so easily, even when she was in the condition she was now. The corner of her lip curled into a grin. How foolish of he to threaten a Captain. Much less a _demon_!_

_Her hand found the hilt of a discarded zanpakuto. The hand of its previous owner still clung to it, but she still had room to grip it. The blade was broken, as well, but it would suit her until she could throw off some Kido spells. Her mind ran at a mile a minute, concocting a devilish plan to eliminate the one who dared threaten her. This traitor would die._

_She stood, whipped around, and swung the weapon. He caught her wrist, pulling her past him and throwing her to the ground. The sword was wrenched from her hands and a weight fell on her between her shoulder blades, meant to immobilize her._

_The one who had threatened her murmured something, inaudible to her ears due to the rain, and then she felt a blade sink into her right leg. She screamed in pain as the calf was cut open. The slice was thin and precise, made by a skilled swordsman. A hand brushed against her and pulled open the wound, reaching in and tearing out the muscles._

_As soon as she was released, she flipped onto her side and tried to reach for her leg to try and stop herself from bleeding to death. She wouldn't be able to fight now. Her body was too battered and broken. Her leg all but useless, dead weight. She barely managed to bring herself to sit up against the nearby tree. She looked weakly up at her captors, her hands clamped over her wound. Her vision blurred, so she was unable to see them clearly, but there were three. She could read their reiatsu signature, though. She already knew exactly who they were. It didn't make this entire situation any more believable, though._

"_You... How...? This...can't be..."_

"_As punishment for attacking me," that same voice purred, "you will be without the use of your leg. Squad 4 will be unable to save it. It will be too late once we are done with you. However, if you behave and listen to me closely, I will heal you enough so that you may return to your duties, albeit as a cripple. With the abilities of your zanpakuto, however, this injury should not hamper your fighting style too much._

"_If you do exactly as you are told, the lives here will be spared. If you accept, you must continue to do exactly as you are told. You will be given missions that you must do, no matter your opinion. For every mission you refuse to do or fail in completing, I will kill one of those close to you._

"_For every person you inform of this conversation, or any future conversations relevant to this one, I will personally murder 100 innocent souls in Rukongai in front of your very eyes with my own bare hands._

"_Do not think you can out power me. If you so much as raise a single finger against me or my allies, know that I could crush you like the ant you are. However, you are a valuable asset that I would very much like to take advantage of. Do you understand?"_

"_I know what you want," the Captain said weakly, realization dawning on her. "If I end up killing myself before you can do what you want, you will go after _her,_ won't you?"_

"_It is no secret to me, my dear. I would prefer you, however. You have a better chance of...survival. I have many plans for you, should I happen to win you over."_

"_I understand. There really is no choice, then. You promise that..._everyone_ will be safe, then? That you will keep them from harm? You would swear this?" the Captain whispered, her voice trembling. Yet, there was something else there, as well._

"_Would you like me to guarantee them protection? Is this the price I must pay for your loyalty? You are quite easy to please. It seems I have underestimated the sacrifices I must make in order to obtain what I want from you. Very well. As long as they are no true threat, I will provide them with safety," he agreed._

"_...I see... You are not the man I remember you being... Yet, I thank you for coming to me instead of taking her..." she murmured, sighing in relief. Her determination to live and fight suddenly renewed in the face of the threats to that one person._

"_I was never the man you remembered me being," he chuckled. "That man never truly existed. Let me tell you what I can give you, Demon of War. You will not go unrewarded for your sacrifices, of course. And I do not want your aid to be unwilling. At the end of my quest, immense power awaits me. No, not just that. _Godhood_ awaits me._

"_I can share that power, the very power that I know you hunger for deep in the confines of your soul," suddenly, the deal seemed all the more tantalizing to the Captain, "Join me in this quest to create a new world order. With me, you can become something greater. We can go above the restraining power of a mere shinigami. You will no longer be the demon, but the _God_ of War!_

"_And all you must do now is say yes. I will spare the lives, restore your leg to a better condition, and you will receive many, many things in return. The balance of lives should you fail my missions will remain until I trust that you are loyal to me, but you and those you love will no longer be disposable once I have achieved my goal. What I offer, Demon, is the power to protect lives. With this gift, you do not need to rely on me, for you will be able to do so on your own."_

_The Captain was stunned into silence of the beautifully planned out deal. It was everything she could ever want in life, and it was now within her reach. All she needed to do was say yes. Part of her shied away from the ruthless treatment that she had already received; and she was certain that she would receive more in the future; but if she accepted she could stop that from ever happening to her family, her friends..._

_Everyone had a price. And the Captain had just been bought with the deal of a lifetime. How could she possibly pass this up? This man was powerful, and she had no doubt that he could kill the ones she loved. She also had no doubt that he would achieve what he wanted. His side was the one she wanted to be on. His side, she knew without a doubt, would be the winning one. She couldn't think differently, for the confidence in his voice told her that that would be silly._

"_Y-yes..." she whispered, her voice cracking and fading. Louder this time, and with far more sureness and determination, she confirmed, "Yes. If what you say is true, then I will help you. I would do anything to protect them."_

_As soon as those words were out of her mouth, she felt guilt wash over her. The need to protect people kept it at bay. Stopped it from consuming her whole. Still, it was unbearable. To get away from it, she focused on the warmth that had started in her leg, renewing some of the muscle._

_She could feel it as she was restored, though. The muscles would never be strong again. She would be stuck with a limp. But now she was already thinking of ways this could benefit her... Her enemies would forever underestimate her if she played this right. Yes, she could turn this disability into an advantage in battle._

"_It is a pleasure to know that you agree with me, Demon of War."_

"_God of War," she corrected weakly, chuckling. He did so, as well._

"_My apologies, God of War."_


	9. God of War, Part 2

**Chapter 1**

"Well, this is certainly more action than we have seen in a while."

"Tell me about it. I don't think it could get anymore boring than this..."

Asaje Rina, Captain of Squad 7, and head one of the Four Great Clans, and Kawasuzu Aika, Captain of Squad 3 and head of a minor clan that served beneath the Kuchiki Clan walked swiftly towards the Captains' meeting hall.

The first had dark brown hair done up with a simple hair piece and piercing, blue eyes. Despite her icy gaze, she had a contented smirk on her face; most likely because she was keen to hear about the trouble that had been stirred up as of late. She wore the traditional shihakusho, with a few of her own embellishments. Mostly family heirlooms that were mandatory to be worn.

Rather than the usual socks and sandals, she had on white boots beneath her hakama. Around her waist and over her clothing was a dark, blue sash that was tied in the back. Beneath her long sleeved haori, which she was seen without more than with, was a grey jinbaori with the Asaje Clan symbol on the back; a warning to all on the battlefield that Akuma Asaje had arrived. Finally, like every bloodline member of her family, she wore the classic earrings. Unlike them, she wore five.

But what was probably her most noticeable feature was the beautifully carved cane in her right hand and the heavy favouring of the leg on the same side. It looked like she was unable to put any weight on it at all. The wound was a result of an old injury she had received long ago.

Some people wondered just how talented she must be, considering that she retained that position of Captain even after 100 years and still remained as one of the better known ones, as well. What was certain, though, was that she hadn't been nicknamed 'Akuma Asaje' by the lower ranked shinigami for nothing. She was a woman to be feared upon the battlefield, especially when she combined her might with that of her Lieutenant.

But all Captains were powerful. Aika, despite her 4' 4" stature, was not someone to be underestimated in a fight, either. She had dark skin, black hair, and lovely, violet eyes. Her long, curly hair was broken by three braids on the right side, giving way to more curls as they tumbled across her shoulders and down to the middle of her back. The braids were decorated with beads, yellow on the top one, blue on the next, and green on the bottom braid.

Having been a Captain for quite a while, though not quite as long as Rina, Aika had learned long ago that a meeting at a time other than the usual once a month reports always meant something was up. Both woman could not say what about, but a change in routine, even if it was because of trouble, was a welcome relief.

"I wonder who messed up this time," Rina mused.

"Maybe it has something to do with Rukia-san?" Aika suggested. "It's been over a month since she went to the World of the Living and she still hasn't returned. Squad 12 was asked to try and locate her since they couldn't reach her Soul Pager."

"Ah, that makes sense. Maybe they found her."

"That is true. Rukia-chan was indeed found by the Department of Research and Development." Both turned to see Aizen Sosuke, Captain of the 5th. He gave them a warm smile as they parted to let him walk between them. "My apologies for intruding on your conversation, Rina-chan and Aika-chan."

"It's fine," came the taller woman's gruff response.

"Hello, Aizen-san," Aika's greeting was far more friendly, though neutral. "You say that Rukia-san was found?"

"Yes. One of us Captains is most likely being sent in order to return her to Sereitei for punishment," he replied.

"What did she do?" Rina asked.

"Some very serious charges are being pressed against her. I have only heard rumours, though. I am sure that the Head-Captain will be able to inform us of exactly what happened," he told them.

They arrived in the meeting hall and took their place to Yamamoto's left, side by side with Aizen in the middle once again. Rina, suspecting that Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the 6th and Rukia's adopted brother, had heard the news as well, shot a look his way as she did. As usual, his constant stone mask betrayed none of what he truly felt.

Other Captains slowly filtered into the hall until they were only waiting on the Head-Captain himself. Soon enough, he had arrived and taken his own place at the very end, across from the door. Beside him was his ever faithful bodyguard, Komamura Sajin. A huge, Captain-level man clad in heavy armour and a helm that hid his face. Most of the Captains looked to the Squad 1 leader almost expectantly, waiting for him to begin. Finally, the old man obliged them.

"I have called you all here to inform you that unseated soldier, Kuchiki Rukia of Squad 13, has been located in a small human town within the World of the Living known as Karakura Town," he began.

"I would never have thought of looking exactly where she was stationed," Rina muttered sarcastically. "Your people are just too good, Soi-Fon."

The Captain of the 2nd Division scowled at the angry woman. Just as she was about to return a scathing retort she was interrupted.

"Silence," Yamamoto growled irritably, shooting Asaje a glare. "We suspect that Kuchiki Rukia has committed the heinous act of power transferal to a human soul." This stopped anymore snarky comments from the gathered officers.

"The reason we have been unable to find her until now is due to the fact that she has given up all her powers and now dons a special gigai that allows her to cloak her presence.

"Captain Kuchiki, you and your Lieutenant, Abarai Renji, will go to the World of the Living tonight to apprehend this outlaw. Should you have the opportunity, kill or seal the Hakusui and Saketsu of the human boy, as well. However, if you must go out of your way, then another team will be sent at a later date to take care of it.

"Once she has been returned, her gigai will be taken and handed over to the Department of Research and Development. She will be placed within the Squad 6 jail until the decision of her punishment has been made by Central 46."

"Does this half shinigami kid have something to do with the Menos that was attacked in Karakura? He gave it a really bad scar," Rina commented.

"That can't be right, though. He's only a human. Even with Rukia-san's powers, he shouldn't be able to scar a Menos Grande, of all things," Aika said.

"It wouldn't be the first time a human has grown that powerful after absorbing the abilities of a shinigami. In fact, they have become as strong as Captains and achieved Bankai in the past, as well," the 13th Captain, Ukitake Jushiro, pointed out.

"Hm. I would like to avoid another incident like that, if possible," Shunsui murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Some of the older Captains nodded in agreement. "It would be best to seal his powers and return him to his normal life before anything like that happens."

"Or perhaps you can bring him back with you, instead, Captain Kuchiki," 12th Captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, chuckled. "I have yet to study the merging of shinigami powers within a human. Surely, there must be some factor that contributes to the fact that this brat was able to survive while so many others have died in the past! He would indeed make a very good specimen for experimentation!"

"Karakura Town is a spiritual hot spot, I believe," Aizen spoke. "The boy most likely had strong reiryoku to begin with."

"How boring," Zaraki Kenpachi, 12th Division Captain, scoffed. "I was hoping I'd get to fight something strong, but all you pussies brought me here for was some stupid shit about power transfer or whatever."

"It is understandable that a brute like you would not be able to comprehend just how dire this situation is," Tosen Kaname, 9th Captain, sniped.

"Arguing gets us no where," Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain 10, snapped. "The matter will be taken care of quickly and peace will return."

_Unless _he_ interferes somehow,_ Rina thought. _It would definitely be like him._

"Head-Captain," Byakuya spoke for the first time. Everyone stopped to watch him curiously. Would he speak up against the punishment of his adopted sibling? "An active Quincy has also been discovered in this town. Shall we eliminate him, as well?"

Of course he wouldn't. Aika's face betrayed the shock, concern, and disappointment that he wouldn't stand up for his adopted sister.

"No. As of yet, this Quincy is young and has not done true damage to the balance. However, we will most likely send another in the future to try and compromise with this Quincy before anything like this does happen," the old man explained. "I will leave you Captains to discuss this further, but I expect you all to return to your duties as soon as possible. There will be no change in this decision."

After the Head-Captain left, Byakuya was the first one to exit the hall. Some of the other Captains lingered, drifting into their own circles to speak. Others, the ones who felt that they had better things to do, simply left. Among those that stayed for now were Rina and Aika. They were speaking with two of the older Captains, Shunsui and Ukitake.

"I wonder how Byakuya-san is taking this," Shunsui murmured.

"It is a huge blow to the Kuchiki name," Rina said. "I remember when my 'Ji-sama was locked up for his crimes. It took us years to recover. In fact, it is still a stain on our honour to this day." The others nodded in understanding.

"Perhaps someone should go talk to him?" Ukitake suggested. His face was shadowed with concern for both his subordinate and his fellow Captain.

"He would only send you away," Aika warned them. Shunsui chuckled, glancing in Rina's direction.

"Then maybe Rina-chan could use her womanly charms to get through to him. I know it would work on me," he purred.

"I am not looking for a lover, Ossan," she retorted, scowling at him. "It would not be worthwhile, anyways. It seems that his emotions died along with Hisana-san. He's still mourning her, even after so long."

They wanted to protest this, but it seemed more and more true with every year that passed. The man rarely showed anything. He avoided most social situations, only going to the mandatory noble clan meetings, and buried himself in his work as a Captain. It had been 50 years since her death, but the noble couldn't seem to let it go.

The tall woman was frowning, now, most likely caught up in her own thoughts now that the subject had taken an abrupt turn towards the deaths of close family members. The other three knew exactly what she was thinking about. It was an old pain that none of them wanted to resurface, right now.

"Rina-chan, are you busy tonight? Mine and Zaraki-san's divisions are meeting up to drink later. You could join us," Shunsui suggested.

"Thank you, but no thank you," she replied, shaking her head. "I promised everyone that I would come home for evening meal this time. Apparently, Meiko's been missing me, even though he can just come to the office at any time," she told them with a sigh. Meiko was next in line to become the head of the Asaje clan, Rina's only son.

"You haven't been home lately?" Aika said, confused. Her friend blinked in surprise, realizing that she had said a little too much. She scrambled to think of a viable excuse for her absence.

"I, uh... I have been at the bar," she replied, shrugging.

"Not looking for a lover, huh?" She smirked.

"My love life is of no concern to you," Rina growled irritably. "If I want companionship, then I will have companionship."

"Just don't do something stupid, Rina," Aika said, her smile replaced with a grim look.

"I'm a Captain. They call me a _demon, _Aika. Not many people are daring enough to challenge me, and those who are will be cut down where they stand," the other said reassuringly, smirking with a little arrogance.

"Right. That argument certainly doesn't inspire any worry, whatsoever," the short woman said, wryly, while rolling her eyes.

"Shut up."

"Long time no see, 'Ka-san."

Meiko was there to greet Rina as soon as she got to the gates. He had chin length hair that was very blond and very curly, and his gaze was dark blue. He looked like he was in his twenties, and wore a shinigami shihakusho. He let his top hang open, though, and had modified it to have a hood. He also wore glasses due to nearsightedness that he inherited from his father. He was standing with a smirk and his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Do not hunch over like that," she admonished. "You will hurt your back."

"What? Not even a hello? I am hurt." Though he did straighten up.

Rina stopped in front of him and brushed the back of her hand against her son's cheek, frowning. He sighed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a hug.

"Before you point it out, I know I need to shave," he murmured into her ear. "Captain Aizen had me jumping around all day, though. From morning to now, since I just finished. I believe they are getting me ready to be 3rd Seat, 'Ka-san!" He sounded excited and proud.

"I'm afraid that I will blink and you will be Captain next," she commented, her voice filled with pride.

The young man had been jumping up rank after rank within Squad 5. Rina already knew what plans Aizen had for him, but she wouldn't ruin the surprise. Her boastful son was not only being prepared for the 3rd Seat, but the position of Lieutenant should it open up. Everyone knew that he had the talent his mother did when it came to the art of fighting. He, too, was a master in the art of dual wield.

Most of the high ranking officers predicted that he would achieve Bankai soon and be a prime candidate should one of the Captains perish. Though he hadn't yet seen his first century, he was training hard alongside his cousin, Ryu. He was already able to release Shikai, and had started his Bankai training about a month ago. Rina wasn't surprised, though. He was around the age when she herself had achieved second release, about 70 years before she was chosen to be Captain.

"Are you staying, this time?" Meiko asked, pulling away. "Where have you been for the past week?"

"I have been told that you were asking for me. Why don't you just come to the office during your time off?" Rina deflected the question.

"I use my spare time to train, plus, I expect to see you every night, anyways. Do not change the subject, 'Ka-san. Where have you been?" he pressed.

"I stay at the office late to get work done," she replied.

"That is a lie," he called her out. She scowled as he continued, "I would be able to sense your reiatsu if you came back late."

"I'm staying in the Captain's quarters," she retorted.

"You hate the Captain's quarters. You told me they smell and there are not any servants to attend to your needs. Why are you lying? Why won't you tell me what is wrong?" Now he looked concerned rather than irritated. Rina looked him in the eyes evenly.

"I am lying because what I am doing is of no concern to you," she told him in a hard tone. "These are Captain's matters. Now, are you going to keep me out here, or are we going to go eat?"

She gave him a little smile at the end to help take the sting out of her thorn. Meiko sighed and smiled, as well.

_His father's smile,_ Rina added to herself a little soberly.

"We can go eat," he replied, turning to walk into the mansion. He had inherited his mother's appetite. Rina fell into step beside him.

"Who said I needed your permission to eat, anyways?" she challenged.

"What else am I supposed to think? There are days where you work yourself so hard that you forget to eat, believe it or not. Take it easy, it is peace time, now. Reports can wait a little while, can't they?" She pursed her lips.

"Peace never lasts."

"You are a true pessimist, 'Ka-san. I am glad I did not inherit that from you." He had, however, inherited her pride, her boastfulness, her cockiness, and her tendency to show off, among other traits. These mostly showed on the battlefield or around women he was trying to impress. "Are you still going to the academy to teach?"

"I can not fail to show up and teach simply because we are almost finished for the year," she told him. "Why do you ask?"

"May I accompany you some time next week? It is my day-off, and I want to see what it is like," he replied.

"History is not that fun."

"I think it is interesting. I would like to teach it someday at the academy. Captain Aizen suggested that I ask you, since he only does calligraphy. I would get more experience if I went with you, 'Ka-san. I hope it is not too much trouble," he said.

"No, it isn't. Just make sure you are up early, Meiko, or I will leave without you."

"I get up earlier than you do," he pointed out. She rolled her eyes.

"I know. I kind of miss the days when you would sleep in and let me do so, as well," she muttered.

"Not my fault you are a light sleeper."

"No, but it is your fault that I wake up every time you pass my room. Maybe I will throw you in with Soi-Fon-san and her protégé some time. They could teach you a thing or two about sneaking."

"She would work me to death, 'Ka-san," he complained.

"Then learn how to be quieter yourself," she retorted. "Has Junko returned, yet?"

"I felt her reiatsu at the gate, so I believe so," Meiko replied.

"Okay. Go to the dining hall, I will meet with you soon."

She turned down a hallway that she knew led to her sister's room before he could reply. She stopped outside the door, able to sense two people within, much to her annoyance. She knocked before she stepped inside to warn them that she was coming. Junko and her husband, Keiji, both looked up from their spot relaxing on the bed as soon as she opened the door.

"Leave," the brown haired woman told the man. His eyes narrowed and he got off the bed.

"Of course, Rina-sama."

After he had bowed and left, Rina turned her attentions to her sister. The younger woman hadn't even bothered changing out of her shihakusho, and she looked utterly exhausted. Even the Lieutenant's badge on her arm was still there.

She held the position of second in command within Squad 7 after her older sister's former Lieutenant, Aikawa Love, was exiled from Sereitei and her second Lieutenant, Jin'emon Kotsubaki, was killed in action during the beginning of the rebel war.

"Good to see that you still have the talent of ruining moments, Onee-sama," Junko said a little irritably.

"What you see in that slob is beyond me," Rina scoffed.

"You would see him differently if you did not give him a reason to despise you. What is it you need? I was about to start getting ready for dinner."

"Kuchiki Rukia was found in Karakura," the older sister replied. Her irritation melted away and her eyes widened.

"You mean..."

"Yes. Everyone begins now."


	10. God of War, Part 3

**Chapter 2**

Daisuke's internal clock was what awoke him at the usual 6:00 AM rather than the alarm, which he had been too distracted to set the night before. He sighed tiredly and made a note to himself to stop staying up so late on work nights.

His lover for the night, Yukiko, shifted when he started moving to get up. He figured he had enough time to make her breakfast and send her on her way before his Captain, Soi-Fon, would get on him about not being at the division.

After he had carefully disentangled himself from the young woman, he sat at the edge of his bed and rubbed his face. He ran his fingers through his dreadlocks, thinking about what he could make that would allow him enough time to shower. He glanced over his shoulder when he felt soft fingers tracing the howling wolf tattoo on his upper arm.

"Morning, sexy," Yukiko purred tiredly, smiling when his brown eyes met hers.

"And a good morning to you, too. I'm sorry I woke you, Yukiko-chan..." he apologized.

"It's fine..." she murmured.

She sat up fully, encircling him with her arms and letting her hands roam his muscled chest. He sighed happily as she pressed against him. He leaned his head against hers gently when she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"People told me that you were good, but I never thought..." she trailed off, a tad bit disappointed that she would soon be leaving. He smiled.

"How about one more time before you have to go?" he suggested, nodding towards the shower. She grinned.

Once they had their shower, dressed, and ate breakfast, Yukiko was sent on her way. Daisuke had hardly taken a step out the door when he was met by a Hell Butterfly. It was from his Captain, requesting that he bring along his zanpakuto with him to the division since he was being sent on a mission. She also chastised him for not being at the division, to which he sighed and reminded himself, once again, that he really needed to stop going out late on work nights.

The short woman was waiting in the courtyard for him when he arrived using shunpo, his dark green zanpakuto in hand. She had her hands clenched into fists and she was giving him a hard look. No one else was around, since most people arrived a couple hours later than when Soi-Fon wanted him there. As her protégé, he was required to arrive bright and early. He was very rarely late, but, when he was, she always gave him an earful for it.

However, she spared him the lecture and launched right into the mission briefing. A dozen or so shinigami had recently deserted, and he was to eliminate them to the man. No mercy was allowed except under the most extreme circumstances. Those extreme circumstances, however, included his enemy having information, which they would not, should not, have. Meaning that it would not apply this time.

"They are more powerful than your usual targets," she continued. "You may need to use Bankai for this task."

"Does one of them have Bankai?" he said in surprise.

"Yes. We have confirmed their identities and found that one had previously been slated for Captaincy within Squad 5 before Aizen proved to be more suited to the job," she explained. "I have already sent your team to scout out their position. We have them cornered, but that won't last if you don't get your ass over there, Esaki."

"Hai, Captain. I'll go immediately."

"As expected of you. Kotsutsa will lead you there," she informed him before turning away.

Daisuke's prey didn't make a sound as he slit their throat with a quick slice of his dagger. Before his target's fellows could come and investigate, he melted back into the shadows. The deserters had set up guards around the perimeter in an attempt at forewarning. After ordering his allies to stay back and wait for his signal, Daisuke had gone to eliminate these guards.

And now that that task was complete, he moved through the underbrush until the target home was within sight. The deserters had, surprisingly, managed to get as far as Rukongai before Squad 2 had caught up with them. However, this made it easier for the dark skinned man. They were in his element now.

No one was outside, but he could sense them within. They made no show of increasing their reiatsu to try and scare them off, but they also failed to hide it effectively. And with good reason, too. There was no use in doing so, since the shinigami already knew their position. All it was was a waste of energy.

There was one within, though. Their reiatsu flared differently than the rest. This was the one. This was the leader and, most likely, the Bankai user. Whoever they were, they would become his first target. The potential damage the small fry could cause paled in comparison to this deserter.

Like Soi-Fon had taught him so long ago, he used the classic bird call signal. It seemed no different from any of the other bird noises around him, but he knew his patrol would recognize it with no problem. Seconds later, he saw slight movement in the shadows as they surrounded the building. Unseen unless one knew what they were looking for.

The brush ended fairly close to the building, providing them with cover until they were almost right up against it. Daisuke signalled for them to wait about ten feet away from the structure while he went in alone. There were two entrances, one in front and one in back. The windows were barred with wood, a classic design, but perfect for lowering the chances of escape.

His plan: Drive them out of the building into the undergrowth, where his team would have the advantage of experience when it came to fighting among the lush brambles, ferns, and roots. While they took the little guys, Daisuke himself would aim straight for the leader. It would, hopefully, be a quick and simple job. With luck, his opponent wouldn't even get the chance to release Bankai. He leapt for the door.

"Bankai, Dokuga Chi Hoeru!" he released his Bankai as he did.

On his hands were clawed gauntlets with retractable daggers on top. Daisuke's brown eyes were now green with narrowed pupils. Ears sprouted from his head and a tail grew as well, both the colour of his hair. His reiatsu literally exploded, and he felt his targets' own pressure rise in fear.

Despite the efforts to bar the door, Daisuke broke it down easily. The deserters automatically shrank to the back of the room, scared by his appearance alone, much less the abilities they knew he must possess. When he leapt, the other door was opened and most fled. One woman in particular held her ground, though.

Her eyes were an orange colour, and her straight black hair was piled on her head with bangs hanging on one side of her face. The tips were coloured with many different dyes. She was wearing the classic shihakusho with the right sleeve ripped off and a cloak covering her left shoulder and arm. It appeared that the days in Rukongai had been hard on her and her fellows. She drew her zanpakuto from the sheath on her back.

"Bankai, Token-rui Taru!" (Barrel of Swords)

The woman was now sheathed in blood red armour with black accents. She had a shoulder guard over her left shoulder on top of the cape. Her arms were covered with arm guards, but the one on her left arm was hidden beneath her sleeve. Most of the armour appeared to be skin tight chain mail, and she wore an armoured skirt and boots.

On her back was a black and red box filled with dozens of weapons, some of their hilts sticking up and over her head. She pulled out a long, double edged sword, one that seemed unable to fit in the comparably small box, with one hand and a dagger with the other. Both weapons had the same design as her armour and box.

"Remember this, the name of your killer! I am Likeno Kidifune!" she announced as she met him halfway across the room.

Daisuke said nothing as he met with the woman, the collision of high level reiatsu making the walls groan in protest. As they persisted to exchange more blows, they found that they were well matched warriors indeed. This would be no easy battle.

The dark man would have won long ago, however, if it weren't for her abundance of weapons. Whenever he disarmed her, she would simply grab another from her box and resume fighting. He came to thinking that it fruitless to disarm her, that her box was somehow bottomless, and he would simply have to finish this the hard way.

He slammed Kidifune through the wall of the house and followed her out through the hole. His team scattered as they hit the ground. They knew better than to get in the way when he was fighting with Bankai, since it was fairly unstable if they weren't careful. Kidifune was on her feet fast and able to block his attack when he tried to cut her.

She hadn't received any wounds yet, but the moment she did the battle would suddenly have a time limit. She seemed determined to do anything to avoid his claws, however, which he found odd. She should not know about the poison his zanpakuto produced. He wondered if someone had leaked information about his abilities to the deserters, somehow.

Casting aside her blades, Kidifune put distance between them and, much to his shock and horror, pulled what looked like a shotgun out of her box, though with the same accents as her other weapons. And he had a feeling that this was a gun that didn't need to be reloaded. With confidence that betrayed her skill, she aimed the weapon and fired.

Daisuke flung himself to the ground to avoid the shot. He felt a considerable amount of her reiatsu drain when she shot the weapon, though. It used her own reiatsu as ammo, and a lot of it. This was something that she would only be able to use two or three times if she still wanted to maintain enough spiritual pressure to fight him normally.

He got to his feet and disappeared as she shot again, grimacing at the crater left by the power. He leapt for her, feigning to the left. When she aimed, he abruptly changed directions and manage to slip in behind her. His claws flashed in the sunlight that broke through the canopy above just before he tore into her side. Her armour stopped him from going too deep, but all he needed was a scratch.

When she whipped around, he jumped into the branches to avoid her. Now the game was dodging her, not attacking her. She would be finished soon enough. All he needed to do was be patient and wait for her to collapse so that he may finish the job.

Seeing how futile it would be to waste her time shooting him, Kidifune tossed aside the gun and pulled something else out of her box: A sickle and chain. Daisuke was forced to leap to the ground when she spun the weapon, felling all the trees around her in order to drive him from their heights.

The moment his feet touched the ground, she lunged at him, sickle at the ready. Her eyes widened when he caught her wrist and ripped the weapon from her hands. Her dragged her in close, throwing her off balance.

"How much information was leaked?" he demanded, snatching her other wrist to stop her from renewing her attack.

"I don't know what you mean," she growled.

"You know about the abilities of my zanpakuto. That isn't possible unless you have seen me fight, and most of those who have are dead."

Despite the hold on her wrists, she was able to spread her hands so the palms were facing him as she shrugged.

"Perhaps. Perhaps I'm far more intelligent than you think, Esaki Daisuke." His eyes widened when she used his name, even though he hadn't given it to her. "Hado #33: Sokatsui!"

Blue flames were discharged from her hands, slamming into his face and chest and burning him as well as his clothing, mostly on the left side since he turned his head away. He was sent flying back into one of the still standing trees, disorientated and blinded. His whole face and chest stung and he suspected he would need some treatment for his eyes if he didn't want to lose his sight permanently.

When he opened his eyes, all he saw was a blurry flash of red as Kidifune grabbed a weapon and made to slam it through his skull. But he was still gaining power through the poison that was sure to have her weakened by now. He closed his eyes and struck out with both his feet, getting her in her middle and causing her to stumble back.

He would have to adapt fast if he was going to win this battle. Since everything was still blurry when he opened his eyes, he forced himself to follow the scent of her reiatsu and the sound of her footsteps, instead. She recovered swiftly and was able to leave a deep cut across his chest and spin away before he could grab her. He heard a branch crack to his left and was able to block her next attack.

Before she could pull away, he raked his claws across her chest, shortening the time it would take for her to collapse from exhaustion. He felt the pain in his face fade a little as the reiatsu from Kidifune flooded into him.

His vision cleared a little, but his eyes were still watering and painful. He caught her fist when she tried to punch him and twisted her arm until it was dislocated, making her scream in pain. As he drew back his other hand to perform the killing blow, she started yelling frantically.

"Wait, wait! You were set up! I was ordered to do this! Someone told me to do this! They promised that it would be easy, but it isn't! Please, don't kill me!" she insisted. "I got the information on your powers from them! I swear, if you let me live I'll tell you everything!"

"So I was right..." Daisuke murmured, lowering his arm a little. He turned his head to call to one of his patrol, who were watching the fight from the shadows. "Okino, hand me the cuffs. We'll take her back with us. We can question her once the poison's-"

He was cut off when Kidifune's body exploded, splattering blood everywhere. Daisuke dropped her remains abruptly and stepped away, shocked. Some of the members of his team ran towards him, yelling his name in concern. The dark man swallowed hard and turned to them, letting his Bankai fade away.

"3rd Seat Esaki! Are you all right?!" they demanded. He held up one bloodied hand.

"I'm fine. Go count the bodies," he ordered. "Captain said she wanted them killed to the man."

They saluted and yelled out that they would do so immediately, seeing that the dark man seemed to be okay. Daisuke frowned down at Kidifune's body. His vision was still blurry, but he could see enough to wish he was blind. It was a painful, and messy, way to die.

He mused on what could have caused this, even consulting with his zanpakuto spirit, Dokuga, to see if he had done something to his poison again. It wouldn't be unlike his other half, who was determined to change it to prevent people from becoming immune. Fortunately, his master had learned how to return it to the proper concoction. However, Dokuga had nothing to do with it this time.

The sound of someone behind him made him turn his head and cast out his senses to determine who it was. Much to his surprise, it was Lieutenant Ichimaru Gin of Squad 3. What could he possibly be doing here? This was well out of his jurisdiction. However, Daisuke had no right as someone of lower rank to question his superior.

"Another job well done, Esaki-kun," the fox-like man purred. "I've never seen yer Bankai before. It is a truly terrifyin' ability, ta be able to drain the reiatsu o' others and feed it to yerself. Cap'n Soi-Fon certainly chose well when she decided ta train ya."

"Lieutenant Ichimaru," Daisuke said, bowing. "My apologies for not greeting you sooner, I didn't realize you were here. I thank you for the compliments, as well as agree with you. It really is a terrifying ability. However, it was something I was born with. As you know, it's no easy task to rid myself of it."

"Ah, but it's appropriate that a man such as yerself; a man who is kind and wouldn't use it fer evil purposes, possesses it. Ya don't like yer power, but are ya afraid of it, Esaki-kun? Or maybe... Do ya want more of it?"

Daisuke inhaled sharply, unsure about the direction this conversation was going now.

"No, Lieutenant Ichimaru, I don't want more power. I am content as I am. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Too much power can make great men into bad men," the dark man replied.

"That's a good answer," Gin mused. "I wonder if it's true."

He turned and walked away, leaving Daisuke to watch him go, a little shaken by the creepy man's mind games. He didn't speak with the Lieutenant often, but, when he did, they always parted ways with the dark man feeling somehow unclean. Even now, he felt as if snakes were crawling all over him, whispering Gin's words back into his ears.

And now he, too, wondered if he was telling the truth. _Did_ he want more power? It was certainly a wonderful feeling, but he was sure that that wasn't what he wanted. He reassured himself that he was at a good level, and that he didn't need to try and grow stronger. His zanpakuto spirit, however, was thinking on a whole other level.

_Power is good, Daisuke..._ Dokuga whispered from within his mind. _Do not shy away from it, do not be afraid of it. You can not be a coward. Instead, you must embrace it, you must _command_it! Everyone wants power, and you are a naive fool to think that you are some kind of exception. How dare you spew such lies as "We do not want more power" and "We are at a good level"?!_

_Little do you know, you have already been tainted, and have been ever since you wrapped your hand around the hilt of our sword. Can you truly say that you are content as you are? NO! You are not content! We are the manifestation of your soul itself, Daisuke. If we want more power, then so do you..._

_Enough,_ Daisuke thought. _Even if that were true, I can resist temptation better than you seem to think. I overcame the addiction before, and I know I can do it again._

Dokuga only chuckled.


	11. God of War, Part 4

I posted this chapter with the last, be sure to go back and read Part 3. ^^

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Gin, where do you go off to when I'm not looking?_ Aika thought.

Her Lieutenant was, once again, not present in his office. He had been doing this a lot as of late. A bad habit he was getting from his friend and colleague, Matsumoto Rangiku. The dark woman was at the Tenth Division, trying to track him down. Unfortunately, Rangiku was no where to be seen, as well.

"Hey, handsome, I was wondering if you knew where our Lieutenants are hiding," Aika said, slipping into Toshiro's office. The white haired Captain looked up from his desk, shooting her an irritated look. He let the 'handsome' comment go only because of the fact they were alone.

"It's Matsumoto's day off," he told her. "She could be halfway across Sereitei for all I care."

"Well that doesn't help me," she said, sighing. "If it's her day off, Gin's not going to be with her. He knows she's the first person I'll check with."

"Well there's no use chasing him. Especially when he doesn't want to be found."

"I'll make him pay for it later. You want to go get something to eat?" she asked.

"I have work to do," he said.

"You can't honestly say that you're going to work through lunch time. Come on, let's go get something," she convinced him.

When he still didn't move, she walked across the room and grabbed his hand, coaxing him from his chair and leading him out of the office. She decided to take him to her to her favourite restaurant, which had been her top choice for over a century now. She had taken him there before, so she knew that he liked the food, as well.

Once they had been given a seat, they were handed menus. The waitress came and took their orders, and they waited for their meals in silence for the most part. Toshiro was the one to speak first, looking slightly awkward about asking anything.

"You told me that your clan serves the Kuchiki clan," he said. "That's means you know Kuchiki Rukia. How are you taking this?"

Rukia had been brought in last night and placed within the 6th Division jail. Her fate was yet to be decided. Reports claimed that the human boy, known as Kurosaki Ichigo, had tried to fight for her, but had lost his shinigami powers in the end. Everything seemed to be working out well, but a lot of people had mixed feelings about Rukia's punishment.

That morning, though, the Captains had been called to the Captains' meeting hall to hear Byakuya's report. What he had to say, or perhaps not say, had shaken Aika, and Toshiro had seen the look on her face. The man had made not a single plea for his adopted sibling's life. In fact, it had almost sounded as if he would prefer she be executed. The finer details were still being worked out, but it was for sure that, in the end, Rukia would not live.

"I don't know Rukia-san as well as I know Byakuya-san," she said. "When she was adopted, I was living in the Kawasuzu manor and quite busy with my Captain's duties. I have talked with her on a few occasions.

"The thing is... I should not say this, but the connection between Byakuya-san and Rukia-san is a bit more complicated than most people believe. Anyone who knew Hisana-sama, his late wife, would know this. Not even Rukia-san herself knows the true reason that she was adopted into the Kuchiki clan. All she knows is a lie," Aika whispered, looking quite troubled. "Regardless, I think she must have had a very good reason for transferring her powers to Kurosaki Ichigo. That, among other things, has led me to believe that her punishment isn't just. She won't even be given a trial to try and defend herself."

"The decision of her execution is being decided by Central 46 itself. Not even the Head-Captain can circumvent their orders. It doesn't matter what us Captains think. We have very little sway over what they decide," Toshiro pointed out, frowning.

"I know. I still hate feeling useless, though," she said a little bitterly.

"How about we spar after this?" he suggested. "You can let off a little steam." She nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan."

They finished lunch quickly and went to find a suitable spot to train after retrieving their zanpakuto. However, they were intercepted by a Hell Butterfly from Soi-Fon. Aika listened as the message was relayed. Gin had been spotted, and he was well outside his jurisdiction. The short woman sighed as the insect fluttered away. When Toshiro cast a questioning look her way, she explained.

"What would he be doing all the way out there?" he murmured once she had finished. She shook her head.

"It's hard to say, I never know what he's thinking. Captain Soi-Fon told me that it was Esaki-san who spoke with him. If he was the victim of one of my Lieutenant's games, I have to say that I feel sorry for him," she replied.

Gin was constantly getting into trouble with his mind games and pranks that he played on other people, usually important ones, too. Aika had long ago mapped out this behaviour and learned how to avoid having him play with her, but he never really tried. A fact that she was glad for, since there would be serious consequences otherwise.

She was a bit confused, though. There were plenty of people within Sereitei that he could play his games with. It was unlike him to go this far out of his way for only one person. Especially all the way out to the higher districts of Rukongai. She decided that she would confront him as soon as she could find him. It was about time she stopped these pointless wanderings. Perhaps she would speak with Esaki, as well. It would give her an excuse to talk to the handsome man.

"Are you going to go get him? Or do you still want to spar?" Toshiro asked.

"We can still spar. He isn't back in Sereitei, yet. I can talk with him about this tomorrow," she replied.

Once they had found a spot, they stood across from each other, their swords drawn. Aika's was a wakizashi rather than a normal katana. Toshiro held his sword with both hands. He signalled for Aika to attack first. They would start without their releases, just to warm up, then use Shikai later on while making sure they didn't seriously hurt the other. Bankai was not a part of the equation this time.

This wouldn't be the first time they sparred. When Toshiro was being prepared to take over the 10th Division, Aika was chosen to help guide him by the Head-Captain. Back then, she had been drawn to him due to the unique circumstances regarding their zanpakuto spirits, which had both manifested for them at a very young age. Far younger than usual.

But even after she was relieved of her duties, they continued to train and spar. Trying to get in at least one or two matches a week. This had resulted in a close friendship between the two. It had been tentative, at first, since neither were accustomed to the willing companionship of another due to their pasts, but it had been built into a sturdy wall that hardly wavered.

After training for a few decades, they knew each other's style of battle quite well. They were quite evenly matched, and the days where Aika would win simply due to experience and power control were far behind them. Most of their matches ended in stalemates, or if one of them slipped up and the other got lucky. Still, it was always nice to practice.

They exchanged blows, never slicing clothing or drawing blood. A casual onlooker would have described it as a graceful dance between two skilled experts. Their strikes missed or were blocked more than they hit. Toshiro was the first to release his weapon. He leapt into the air, raising the sword above his head as he called its name.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

A chain grew from the pommel of his zanpakuto, ending in a silver crescent blade. The air around them dropped several degrees as Toshiro called upon the water in the atmosphere. He froze it, forming an eastern dragon made completely of ice. He sent it hurtling towards Aika, but she was ready.

"Charge, Jinsoku Koshi!" she yelled, releasing her own weapon.

There seemed to be no change, until she swung the weapon. It expanded, separating into several different segments all connected with a wire. The entire length of the sword crackled with white electricity. It slammed into the ice dragon, easily destroying it. Toshiro landed on the ground and swung his sword.

"Guncho Tsurara!"

Several ice daggers were formed and flung at Aika. Rather than dodge them, she cried.

"Ten Kou Kaminari!"

Lightning rained from above, obliterating the daggers. Aika emerged from the residual ice shards and swung her sword at Toshiro, adjusting the attack so it just barely brushed him rather than leaving him with a deep cut. He leapt away, but was forced to move once more as she called yet another lightning bolt. He summoned another ice dragon and lunged to press the attack.

It was getting close to evening meal by the time they agreed that no one was the winner and sealed their weapons. They parted ways after that. Aika planned on having a nice meal and a hot shower once she returned to her manor, but first she wanted to pick up some paperwork that she wanted to do before bed.

"Ah, Cap'n Kawasuzu," came Gin's greeting when she entered the office. It looked like he had arrived not long before she had. "I've been lookin' fer ya. When I found out that you were sparrin' with Cap'n Hitsugaya, though, I decided ta wait in the office fer ya."

"You've been looking for me? Gin, I've been trying to find you all day. Captain Soi-Fon told me that you were in Rukongai speaking with Esaki-san. Why is that?" Aika immediately leapt into the interrogation of her second in command.

"I was jus' out in Rukon ta see if they had any dried persimmons," he told her. "Rangiku and I ate them all from my trees the other day. I couldn't find any, so I decided ta go back when I saw Esaki-kun and his team on a mission. I stopped ta watch them fer a while, then came back here."

Like usual, she couldn't tell if he was lying or not. His grinning face and squinting eyes never revealed anything to her. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was too late to be doing this now.

"You are neglecting your duties, Gin," she said. "This isn't the first time, either. It's become a bad habit, of late. I expect it to stop."

"O' course, Cap'n."

"Now, you said you've been looking for me? Why? What happened?" she asked, moving on to more pressing matters than her runaway Lieutenant.

"I saw some suspicious people in Rukon today," he told her.

She waited for him to continue. It took her a second to realize that he wasn't going to say anymore.

"That's it? They aren't in our jurisdiction. Captain Soi-Fon tells me you were spotted in the higher districts of East Rukon. We only look after those in the lower districts there and a few higher ones in the north. You should inform Captain Soi-Fon of this," she said, a little confused that he was bringing it up.

"I did see 'em in the lower districts, Cap'n. Ya look tired, though. I'll write ya a report and ya can read it tomorrow," he replied absently.

He was right. She was tired. And she didn't really want to look at reports of suspicious people at the moment. Chances were that they were just another one of the gangs that ran around the lower districts every once in a while. She would most likely have to send out a patrol in order to eliminate them the next day.

"Okay. I expect to see you in the office tomorrow morning, Gin. I don't want to have to run around looking for you again."

"A' right. G'night, Cap'n Kawasuzu."

"Good night, Gin."


	12. God of War, Part 5

**Chapter 4**

"Are you getting up? We are going to be late, 'Ka-san..."

"No problem... 'M coming... Soon... 'Nother hour, maybe..."

"'Ka-san, we only have an hour to get to the academy in time."

Meiko shook his mother, trying to get her out of bed. He could tell that she had been drinking the night before, though she hadn't brought anyone home this time, fortunately. He wanted her up and in the shower so she didn't smell like booze all day. It would be embarrassing. When the woman didn't reply, he shook her harder.

"'Ka-san, you should not drink so much. One day, you will drink too much and you will end up at the Fourth Division. Get up, please. I really, really, do not want to be late." Still no reply. It was time to step it up a little. "If you do not get up, I will take all of your sake and pour it into the garden pond for the fish to get drunk on, instead."

It got her to at least sit up and glare at him. She looked terrible, with dark circles under her eyes and ruffled hair. He decided he would leave a glass of water and a couple of aspirin on the bedside table for her once she got out of the shower.

"The fish do not deserve sake. That stuff is expensive..." she retorted tiredly as he dragged her out of bed and pushed her in the direction of the bathroom.

"Have a shower, I will leave some things for you on the bedside table for you," he ordered, ignoring her comments. She gave him an indignant look before slipping into the bathroom to shower.

Somehow, they managed to get themselves dressed, showered, and into the breakfast hall to eat while still making it to the academy on time. Rina looked far better now that the aspirin had kicked in. It was clear that she was still tired, though, as she sauntered onto the raised area and just about tripped over her own feet.

"Chapter 23, page 456 in your textbooks," she said, writing this in big letters on the chalkboard.

The room was briefly filled with the sound of flipping pages. Once it subsided, Rina opened her mouth to continue. She closed it when one of the students raised her hand. Frowning, and, finally, sighing, she motioned for her to speak.

"Asaje-sensei, I heard that you were a part of the fight against the rebels," she said. "Since we are learning about this today, could you maybe tell us a story about it?"

She looked eager to hear about the war, as did her peers, who nodded in agreement.

"'Ka-san," Meiko whispered from his position a step or two behind her, "didn't Oto-sama perish during the later years of that war, as well?"

He had been only a year old when his father had died. However, his mother neglected to speak about it, so he knew very little about him, much less about how he had died.

"...Yes..." she replied in answer to her son's question. Louder, she announced to the first years with a prideful grin, "You want a story? Fine. I will regale you all with the tale of how I earned the title of Demon of War.

"It was during the early years of the war, not long after my second Lieutenant had perished during one of their ambushes. They took his body and the bodies of his men, as well. As you all know, tradition is that a body must be cremated in order for the soul to live a peaceful life in the World of the Living. In honour of my men, I decided I would set this right.

"So I set out alone, with only my two most trusted officers by my side. One of those my own sibling, Asaje Junko, who is now my third Lieutenant. We pinpointed one of the rebel bases and, in the dark of night and under the cover of rain, stormed the place.

"One of the two I brought gave his life so that I may kill the one who had taken Kotsubaki Jin'emon's life. We left the building after killing them to the man and set it ablaze with a fire so fierce that not even the rain could extinguish its flames!" she continued proudly.

She briefly stopped, allowing for a dramatic pause. She had everyone enthralled with the story, even her own son. It was rare that the woman talked about her past, but this seemed to be a fairly fond memory of hers, even if it was tainted with her Lieutenant's death.

But Meiko suspected that she was exaggerating at least a little on the details. Knowing his mother, she had probably been sitting outside for a while trying to start the fire. It probably hadn't been raining as she started it, either. But he wasn't left to his thoughts for long as Rina continued.

"While we admired the flames, a group of rebels snuck up on us. There were a thousand, no, a _million_, of them!" Another dramatic pause to allow the students to gasp in horror.

Now Meiko was starting to wonder if she'd manage to snag a bottle of sake while he wasn't looking. When he looked at the awe filled faces of the students, he wondered if _they _had been drinking that morning. They seemed to buy his mother's every word. Obviously not even a _demon_ could defeat so many men. But then, if she was right, what did that mean for the progeny of a demon? He couldn't help but wonder.

"But for Junko and I, a million was simply a number. We cut through the masses without a second of hesitation, coating the muddy ground in red _blood_! Within the hour, we had destroyed all the rebels. And, when we returned to Sereitei, we returned as heroines who had not only escaped, but obliterated an army of over a million!

"As a result, I was named Akuma Asaje. A warning to all that I alone am the most powerful being in Soul Society. I am the Demon of War!"

There were holes in her story, Meiko noted as she finished. Like, why hadn't Junko been given praise? And why did it seem like she had simply pulled the story off the top of her head? Surely it couldn't be a memory, could it be? It had happened so long ago that he thought that maybe she had forgotten some of it. He decided that he would have to ask his aunt about it when he got home. For now, he focused back on reality as Rina bypassed questions about her story and dove right back into the lesson.

Meiko found Junko reading in the garden alone later in the day. He wasted no time in sitting beside her, making her look up curiously. They didn't speak often. Meiko spent most of his time with her son, his cousin, Ryu, rather than his aunt.

"Junko-ba, can I ask you some things about the rebel war?" he inquired.

"The war? I suppose. What do you want to know?" she asked, putting down the book.

She accepted the fact that he was going to her first without protest. It wasn't odd, since her older sister usually refused to speak on her experiences during that war. She wasn't expecting the next words that came out of his mouth, though.

"'Ka-san was telling everyone about how she got the name 'Demon of War'," he began. "But I do not think the story is right. Here, I will tell it to you..."

When he finished, Junko looked to the side, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Meiko waited patiently for her response. Finally she looked back at him, meeting his gaze.

"You are correct, that isn't how it happened. Jin'emon-san's body was not recovered, that much is true. She did go to the base to take her revenge and I did accompany her, but the way she told it was indeed over exaggerated. Also, that is not when she obtained the name. Not officially, at least. It was something that came overtime, a nickname since she was so talented.

"It was during the second major battle we participated in that the name became more widespread, when she injured her leg, but it wasn't whispered with fear like it is now. Instead, most called her the spirit of justice, since it was during this battle that she avenged our cousin's mother, Miko. Very few called her the Demon of War. Mostly the higher ranking officers of the time, since they knew better than the commoners how ruthless Onee-sama could be in battle.

"It wasn't until your father was killed in action that everyone knew and feared the name Akuma Asaje," she continued, her voice dropping to little more than a whisper. "Seiken-kun was very ill a month before his death. He was in the recovery stage when Captain Aizen, he was 4th Seat in Squad 5, sent him on a patrol in an area where the rebels hadn't been spotted.

"Turns out they were planning a raid on one of the villages they passed through. They ambushed the patrol and they fought back, but they were heavily outnumbered. It was only a scouting patrol, after all. Seiken-kun was too weak to escape like some of the others in his patrol. They had to leave him behind.

"When Onee-sama found out about this, she just about killed the patrol members for leaving him behind. All of them were put in the Fourth Division for over a month. We tried to lock her up so she could calm down, but she left Sereitei before we could stop her. I am still unsure whether this is was a good thing or a bad thing.

"She went on a rampage throughout all of Rukongai, destroying the rebels in Seiken-kun's name. She singlehandedly killed almost all of them and ended the war when she discovered the main camp and killed all of the high ranking officers on their side. It was a complete bloodbath. The unseated soldiers spent months cleaning it all up.

"After that, no one knew her as anything other than the Demon of War. She withdrew from her Captain's duties for a few years to take care of you and mourn your father. I can count the amount of visitors we got during that time using just one of my hands. No one wanted to be in the presence of an angry demon. You helped her recover from that pain, though."

Meiko stared at her in shock. The thought of his mother, who very rarely seemed to be angry in his presence, doing such terrible things in a fit of rage was mind boggling. Sure, she was short tempered, but this deep, sad rage that he could feel just from the telling of the story alone was something completely different. Suddenly, Rina seemed a far darker person than he'd initially thought.

"She isn't a bad person, Meiko-kun," Junko insisted when she saw the look on his face. "She and Seiken-kun were very close. She paid dearly for the mistakes she made. Why do you think she does not talk about your father? She isn't proud of what she has done. And she isn't proud of the name Demon of War, either, though you may think differently."


	13. God of War, Part 6

C'mon, guys, please review. :( I really want to know if this is good, and if no reviews... Please tell me how I'm doing, and I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm whining.

Warning: Mild (very mild) sex, swears, violence.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Today turned out to be a good day. Aika didn't have to chase after her Lieutenant, nor did she receive any complaints about him, either. Though, it wasn't that she ever gave him trouble about it when she did. It was just that they used to go pranking together. She wanted in on the fun, too.

The short woman enjoyed the walk home with a small smile on her face. Nearing her manor, she could sense that she had company. A servant met her at the gate with a message. Her Ojii-san was visiting with two members of the Asaje Clan. Aika wondered what it could be about since Rina wasn't with them.

Once she confirmed that her guests were taken care of, the dark skinned woman went to go change into something more appropriate. Her Ojii-san was strict when it came to protocol. Aika drew in a deep breath before going out to meet her guests.

"Ojii-san, it is a pleasure to see you," she greeted the old man when she walked into the gazebo the servants had guided her guests to in her garden. The three stood to greet her. She recognized Rina's sister and Lieutenant, Asaje Junko.

"It is always a pleasure to visit, granddaughter."

"Good day, Captain Kawasuzu," Junko greeted the small woman. "Do you remember my son, 4th Seat of 13th Division, Asaje Ryu?"

Aika nodded, eyeing the young man curiously. Ryu had his father's green eyes and sandy coloured hair. He was a little below average height. On his left ear was the earring that signified his position within the Asaje clan. He was very nervous, as she could see by the way he fidgeted with his hands and shuffled his feet.

"Yes, I do. It is a recent promotion, is it not?" she politely asked.

"It is, Captain." He nodded.

His voice was a warm baritone. Ryu's smile easily lit his eyes when he took her offered hand. His grip was firm, but not overpowering. Most men tried to grab her hand in a vice like grip, waiting for her to show any pain. Her estimation of the young man rose a little.

"Congratulations," complimented the short woman.

"We're all very proud of him," Junko said as they seated themselves.

She smile happily at her son. Ryu blushed at her compliment.

"'Ka-san, please. I'm sure Captain Kawasuzu is wondering why we're here," the young man admonished.

He looked at Aika, another blush painting his cheeks before quickly looking away. He fidgeted, clearly wanting to leave, but not wanting to appear that he did. It seemed that most of the Captains could pierce you to the soul with just a look. Being around such power was disconcerting. Fortunately for him, Rina was never around that much, plus, she was able to seal her reiatsu into her cat, Gilepsi.

"I have good news, granddaughter. I am in the final negotiations with the Head of the Asaje Clan for Ryu-san to take your hand in marriage," Ojii-san announced. She was briefly startled into silence.

"Final negotiations? I'm very honoured, but why wasn't I informed of this earlier?" Aika asked once she regained herself, keeping her tone void of emotion.

_And why the hell didn't Rina tell me about this?!_ she thought furiously. Jinsoku Koshi stirred in the back of her mind when he felt her rage. _Ojii-san promised that I would be in control of my own affairs! Ever since...!_

_Beloved, please. Calm yourself. Your guests are becoming concerned, _her zanpakuto spirit spoke up. The air around the Captain was becoming charged. Aika swallowed her anger, pasting a smile on her face.

"We wanted to avoid the rumours that would be swirling around such a pairing," the old man explained.

_Bullshit! You did it this way so that I couldn't refuse without losing face!_ The short woman shot an angry glance at her Ojii-san.

"We cannot stay, I am afraid," Junko broke in. Despite the anger that she must sense coming from Aika, the small woman was almost sure that she saw the pleased look in her eye before she turned her head away. "We have a prior engagement for the evening meal. We wanted to share the good news, as soon as possible."

_That news wasn't shared soon enough!_ thought Aika.

Junko and Ryu rose from their seats. She escorted the two to the door. Exchanging meaningless pleasantries, the three parted ways. The short woman made her way back to her Ojii-san.

"This is a great opportunity for our family," the old man began before she could say anything. "I had to take the chance when it was presented to me."

"You should have come to me sooner. Ambushing me with this is unacceptable. You can show yourself out."

The old man sighed as he watched her walk away. He wanted an heir before it was his time to pass on. The rumours and stories swirling around his granddaughter did not help matters. He had to admit that it was partly his fault. He did blame her, for quite some time, for the death of her oka-san. Saya, his only child and daughter.

Aika's oka-san died giving birth to her. The woman had been very sick, going into labour prematurely. Aika was a sickly child. It fuelled the rumours that it was her fault her mother died. Mad with grief, the old man had been very public with his blame. If he had known it would lead to such difficulties in finding her a husband later on, he would've been quiet about his accusations. The other noble families did not want to take the chance that her illness would be passed on to any children she bore.

Not bothering to change out of her finery, Aika searched for her friend. Rina wasn't even bothering to hide. It wouldn't have done her any good except delay the inevitable. Once the short woman had located her, she took off using shunpo. Asaje had planted herself in one of the more well-known bars in the Rukon to wait for the small woman's confrontation.

Passing over the rooftops, the dark skinned woman's rage felt like a storm rolling in. People stopped to look up, to their confusion a cloudless sunny day was only to be seen. When she passed the 10th Division, Hitsugaya and Rangiku raised their heads in alarm. The walls of the division did nothing to block out the rage that rolled off the small woman in waves.

"Is that-?" the busty Lieutenant started saying.

"Kawasuzu," the white haired Captain answered before she finished the question. "I've never seen her lose her temper before."

He looked over at Matsumoto, who only shook her head.

"Neither have I. She's always been so laid back," she muttered, fearfully. "Maybe you should go after her, Captain. I wouldn't want to be the one on the receiving end of such rage."

"Thanks, I think," he mumbled.

"She's going to need a good strong friend to keep her from doing something she regrets," Rangiku pointed out.

Despite the irritated look on his face, he grabbed his zanpakuto and went after the enraged woman. He had to admit that his Lieutenant was right. Aika was fast, her speed enough to rival that of the legendary Shihouin Yoruichi. Toshiro took a short cut so he would be able to head her off before she reached her destination. Despite the short cut, she arrived before he did.

The dark skinned woman's approach made even Rina notice. The brown haired woman was famous for her lack of sensing skills. The few patrons scattered, leaving before they could get caught up in the trouble. She hauled herself to her feet, grabbing her cane. Rina chugged the last of her sake before going to meet the inevitable confrontation.

The brown haired woman stood in the abandoned street. She hadn't expected Aika to be this angry. The small woman was coming in fast, too fast. Rina scrambled to get out of the way of the incoming woman. It didn't matter. A shockwave resulted from Aika slamming into the ground. The angry woman was thrown off her feet, and sent flying into a nearby building. A crack of thunder shook the area. Later, witnesses would swear they saw lightning strike.

Rina climbed out of the rubble, coughing from the dust that was sent into the air. She wasn't given a chance to get her bearings. The short woman came hurtling out of the swirling dust. Her fist was aimed at Rina's gut. Unable to dodge this one, the tall woman had the air knocked out of her.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! How dare you?! I thought you were my friend!" Aika yelled at her.

"I did you a favour!" Rina wheezed.

She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. She closed her eyes, fully expecting another punch. When it didn't come she opened her eyes. Hitsugaya had arrived. He was holding the small woman back.

"Oh, excuse me Rina-_sama_! Of course! Your poor unmarriageable spinster of a friend needs all the help she can get! That doesn't explain why you did it behind my back!" Aika twisted out of Toshiro's grasp. Grabbing hold of Rina's shihakusho, she lowered her voice, growling, "You, who should know better than anyone. You, who fought to choose her own husband so you could marry Seiken-kun. I'm in love with someone else. How could you do this to me?"

The short woman abruptly let go of Rina. It sent the unbalanced, shocked woman toppling over. Aika shot a tragic look toward the white haired Captain before disappearing using shunpo. Before he went after her he turned to Asaje. He didn't quite catch what was said between the two when Aika spoke quietly.

"What the hell did you do, Asaje?"

Toshiro was surprised that there hadn't been a falling out between the two women before now. Even he didn't expect such a blow out, though.

"Until she decides to enlighten you, it's none of your fucking business," she grumbled, dusting herself off. Rina cast about for her cane, ignoring the short Captain's scowl. Stooping to pick it up once she located it, the angry woman glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Just...make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

The short man shook his head, scowling at the angry woman, again. Toshiro didn't need her to tell him the obvious. He was going to take care of his friend whether Rina wanted him to or not. He launched himself after Aika once he located where she'd gone.

Not surprisingly, the short woman had installed herself at the nearest bar. When he walked in the dark woman had the front of the bartender's shirt in her hands. Her face was centimetres from the man's.

"If I say I'm old enough to bloody well drink then I'm bloody old enough to drink!" she growled at the frightened man.

"S-so sorry. O-of course. Let me get your order right away," the man stuttered.

She let him go so he could serve her. He quickly placed five shot glasses in front of her, filling them up with whiskey. Aika downed the first two, flipping the glasses to rest upside down on the table. She was just knocking back the third when Hitsugaya sat across from her.

The white haired Captain glanced warily about the tavern. Aika's noble silks had caught some unsavoury attention. He was glad he had grabbed Hyourinmaru before he went after the short woman. His Captain's haori would discourage all but the desperate or stupid, or so he hoped.

"You want to tell me what happened?" he asked.

"Not really," she answered, truthfully. "I'm sure if you wait around long enough you'll get the whole drunken story."

He sighed. The white haired Captain didn't doubt that he would. What had been said had him curious, but he was patient enough to wait until she was ready to talk. At the rate that she was drinking he wouldn't have to wait long.

"Ya know, I'd resigned myself to the fact that I'd be the lonely, crazy, spinster...cat lady," Aika slurred after downing the rest of the shots in front of her. She began working on the ginger beer the bartender left for her to chase the shots with. "Rina and I had joked that she would do an intervention if I ever started collecting the little furballs."

Aika slammed the bottle onto the table. The beer began to fizz, overflowing the bottle. The bartender rushed over with a rag to clean up the mess. The short woman didn't care that the sleeves of her kimono were getting wet.

_What the hell did Asaje do, exactly? _He thought, angrily.

"I don' wanna be here, anymore. Le's go somewhere else," Aika said.

She abruptly stood, swaying slightly. She had a rosy glow on her cheeks. Hitsugaya was surprised at how well she was holding her liquor.

"Maybe, I should take you home," Toshiro suggested.

"Oh, handsome, you want to escort me home? Yes, please," she said eagerly.

Toshiro's face went red at not only the nickname, but the way she flung herself into his arms. He surreptitiously looked around the bar hoping no one noticed the small woman nuzzling his neck. It sent delicious little shivers down his spine.

Thankfully, the other patrons either didn't care or were too drunk to notice. Well, except for the few that had coveted the dark skinned woman's finery. The short Captain guided Aika out of the bar.

Once outside, he scooped her up into his arms. The sooner he got her out of here the less likely they would have to deal with any trouble. No one had followed them out, yet.

He would drop into her garden; thus, avoiding the servants. The white haired Captain knew her bedroom had an entrance to it. Not because he'd been in her chambers but because he'd seen her use it while visiting. Aika giggled, burying her face into his shoulder. He jumped when she tangled her hand in his hair.

"You're hair is so soft," she whispered in his ear.

The inebriated woman stuck her tongue into the short Captain's ear, startling him. Toshiro didn't notice the group that covertly exited after them. They quickly surrounded the two shinigami. When they struck, he barely dodged out of the way with Aika in his arms. She exclaimed in protest.

"Just hand over your money. No one needs to git hurt," announced one of the ruffians.

"That would have been more believable if you hadn't attacked first," Toshiro growled.

The short Captain let go of Aika's legs. She squinted at the four men confronting them.

"Are you..._mugging_ us?" she asked. "You are mugging us! I hope you know how to use those swords of yours."

"Kawasuzu, you're not-" Toshiro didn't get further before he was interrupted.

"And if we do?" the one who'd spoke up earlier asked cockily. He rested his katana on his shoulder.

"Well, things jus' got more interestin'," she slurred, smiling. "You might even be able t' take me."

"You noble bitches think ye're all high n' mighty," the ruffian sneered. "I'm goin' to take you over my knee before I teach you a proper 'lesson'."

Hitsugaya scowled at the ruffian's implication. His hand went to the hilt of his zanpakuto. His hand was stayed when Aika made her move. No one but him saw her.

"It is a well made asachi. Well balanced, nicely sharpened, and well taken care of," the short woman commented after unsheathing it, and examining the blade.

Aika wavered a bit on her feet, but there was no trace of a slur in her voice. When she met the katana wielder's gaze it was clear of any influence of alcohol, mostly. The dark woman offered the blade, hilt first, to its owner.

The ruffian swallowed nervously. He didn't even feel her take the sword that was resting on his shoulder. His hand shook as he took his asachi back.

"We're sorry for bothering you folks," the ruffian said after clearing his throat.

The other three backed off, as well, with their hands raised. They were smart enough to know when they were out classed. Aika turned to her companion with a smile on her face.

"'Kay, handsome, le's go," she purred.

"Just when I think I have you figured out, Kawasuzu," the white haired Captain murmured, amusement slightly coloured his tone.

"Oooo, shunpo while being drunk makes the world topsy turvy. Maybe a little nauseating, too," Aika announced once they landed in her garden.

Toshiro deposited her on a bench beside the pond. The short woman put her head between her legs trying to stave off the gagging.

"I'll get you some water. Wait here."

The white haired Captain headed to her rooms. The nausea passed quickly, thankfully. Aika sat up looking around. It was a warm evening. The water looked very inviting.

"Kawasuzu, what the hell are you doing?" asked Hitsugaya.

"It's hot. I wanna go for a swim," the dark woman said.

Toshiro set the glass of water he was holding on the bench. Her kimono was lying across the bench. She was shrugging off her nagajuban, her under garment. He tried grabbing the collar trying to replace it on her shoulders. To his embarrassment she wasn't wearing a chest band or panties. Before the short Captain could bend to pick up the robe Aika wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You must be cooking inside those layers, handsome. You should join me for a swim," she said.

Hitsugaya held his hands away from her, trying not to hold her while she was naked. Of course, that meant she was pressing her body against his. It was very distracting. He had a hard time remembering what he was going to say.

"Uh..."

Aika used Toshiro's distraction to her advantage. Her nimble fingers undid his obi. The short Captain froze momentarily, his expression making the woman giggle, when his hakama dropped to his feet. The small woman evaded his hands when he grabbed for them. She slipped her arms underneath his shitagi and kosode, opening them up to press her body against his.

"Kawasuzu! This is hardly appropriate! You're drunk. You are going to regret-"

His protests were silenced by her finger on his lips. The dark skinned woman pulled back a little from kissing his neck. Her blurry gaze met his.

"I only regret that I didn't do this years ago. Do you wan' me to stop, handsome?"

"I...don't know," he murmured, resting his hands on her shoulders.

Toshiro remembered back to when she was mentoring him. Kawasuzu was the only one that treated him like an adult. She was a hard task master. A good teacher. He was his own worst critic. When he drove himself too hard, was far too harsh with himself, she used humour to break the tension, to make him see that it wasn't as serious as he thought it was.

"This is the alcohol talking. Is this what you really want?" he implored, trying to get through to her.

"It's okay, handsome. I understand," she whispered, rejection laced her tone.

Maybe he was right. She should be the good noblewoman, the dutiful granddaughter, the chaste bride-to-be. Aika cupped his cheek with her hand. She pressed her lips lightly to his. When she released him to step away, though, his arms involuntarily went around her waist.

Toshiro's mouth sought hers, capturing it with a hunger that surprised them both. With reason set aside, he quickly disrobed. The white haired Captain gently guided Aika to the ground, lying her atop his discarded clothes. Coming up for air from their kiss, he looked into her eye.

"You're sure about this?"

"I've never actually done anything like this before." The short woman looked away then back. "You won't think less of me?"

His expression softened. Toshiro brushed a piece of hair from her face.

"No."

Aika's smile lit her face and eyes. She pulled his head down to capture his lips again. She gasped when the short Captain's hands travelled further down her body to caress her breasts. The dark woman moaned when one of his hands stroked further, brushing her sex. Her back arched in pleasure.

It wasn't what she had expected. From what she'd gleaned from other women, it should have been more painful. Instead, she had felt some discomfort, and the feeling of being stretched. Toshiro hadn't been gentle, but he wasn't unnecessarily rough, either. The pleasure began building steadily until Aika thought she couldn't handle anymore. The desire exploded within her. It triggered the short man's release.

"That wasn't what I was expecting. That was...amazing," she said once she was able to speak.

"What?!" the white haired Captain pulled back to look at her in surprise. "You're a virgin?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

The panic in Toshiro's voice and on his face confused Aika.

"I did. I told you that I've never done this before."

"I thought you meant..." he trailed off. Toshiro silently cursed himself. "Did I hurt you?"

"To be honest, I was expecting it to be _more_ painful," she confessed.

"Damn... I would have been more gentle, more,...I don't know, better," he whispered, looking away from her in shame.

"You mean it gets even better than that?" she asked eagerly, her eyes wide. Toshiro looked back at her in startlement. "Can we do it again?"

"I, uh, need time to...recover," he murmured, still in shock.

"I can help with that!"

Aika gave him a sly smile as she flipped him over onto his back.

"Wait! What are you...?" the rest of his question was swallowed up in his gasp of pleasure. The sight of her bobbing head when he looked down his body was everything his imagination had promised him, and more. "Oh, sweet kami..."

Aika lay awake listening to the breathing of a sleeping Toshiro. He'd fallen asleep lying on top of her. The two had finally made it to her bed. She smiled at the memory of him carrying her into her rooms. They had talked and made love, but mostly talked.

She had finally told him what had happened that had upset her. The short man was angry. Both at Rina for pulling such a baffling stunt, and, though not as upset, at her. She couldn't blame him. Even if the negotiations weren't finished, and the betrothal official, it was pretty much a done deal. He hadn't left, though, giving her the opportunity to explain that she had a few options left to back out of the engagement.

She had even more reason now to find a way out of her predicament. Toshiro had confessed, in a bemused tone, that he'd had a crush on her. As the years, decades, went by, he never thought anything would come of it. When she asked why he never said anything he blushed, saying that he never imagined she could feel the same way about someone from the Rukon. He was well aware that the noble families considered it a taboo to marry shinigami or souls from the Rukon.

"That's not exactly true," she'd explained. "Those who've proven themselves by becoming officers have been adopted into noble families. Those families that don't have many family members, or if an individual's accomplishments would boost a clan's place in the hierarchy, usually do so."

"Since they are considered nobility, they can marry without the stigma," he finished.

"Exactly."

The white haired Captain had gone quiet, pondering what she said. They hadn't stopped caressing each other, and exploring each other's bodies. Aika found that she couldn't stop herself. She wanted know every part of him by touch, committing it to memory, just in case she could never have him again.

"What would one have to do in order for them to be considered equally prestigious as someone from one of the Great Clans?" he whispered between the slow kisses he was bestowing on her body. She inhaled sharply, looking at him in surprise.

"I- You would-?" she stuttered, not able to form a complete sentence. He lifted his head to look into her eyes.

"Would you marry me?"

"Of course, I love you, but-"

He swallowed the rest of her sentence with a deep kiss. The short man hadn't expected her to utter those three little words. Toshiro, also, hadn't anticipated feeling so elated at her answer and admission, either.


	14. God of War, Part 7

**Chapter 6**

Rina sat alone in the bar, nursing a bottle of sake. Usually, she would socialize with the other patrons, mostly the men. Tonight, she kept to herself and, sensing the sober air that hung around her, the others let her be. Only the bartender would occasionally share a few words with her when she bought a new bottle.

This one was draining slower than the last six or seven, though. As usual, drowning her sorrows in sake never worked. Especially around this time of year. And especially after everything that was happening now that Aizen's plan was set in motion. Every time she might be having second thoughts, she would drink until her concerns were drowned. Unlike sorrows, they didn't swim very well.

But she hadn't really been thinking about that lately. Ever since she had carried out Aizen's orders to distract Aika by having her grandfather set up a betrothal between her and Junko's son, Ryu, she'd kept it all in the back of her mind.

It was there along with all the other guilt that she had thrown there regarding what she had done on behalf of Aizen. Whenever it tried to escape, she would bar it back up with thoughts to reassure herself that, in the end, everything would turn out for the better. It wasn't like she had much choice when it came down to it. If her friends and family were to survive once Aizen rose to power, then she needed to remain in his service as his trusted right hand.

Her thoughts started straying once more as she took a sip of the almost full bottle. When the images in her brain started becoming unwanted, she took another sip to try and banish them. She blamed these on her fight with Aika, which had first started bringing them back to the front of her mind. Instead of banishing them, she was sure that the sake only made her illusions more vivid.

She saw Seiken again. His warm, brown eyes, friendly smile, beautiful, blond hair, and glasses that somehow made him look even more approachable. Not to mention the stubble on his face that he never cared to shave, despite her complaints about how scratchy it was. She reached for him, unable to stifle the need to hold him again, but the image shimmered and changed.

Her hands clenched into fists as she surveyed the grey battlefield, littered with the bodies of the men and women she had killed. All for vengeance. Rina looked down at herself. She was covered head to toe in their blood. It was no wonder that the people had named her a demon.

When she looked up, she was in a dirty, old cell. More bodies lay around her, but she only had eyes for one. Someone stirred from the corner of the cell, coughing harshly before looking up at her with dull, brown eyes peering through dirty, cracked glasses. When he really saw her, though, his orbs lit up.

"Rina?" he whispered.

"Seiken-!" she gasped, tears filling her eyes.

She rushed to his side, flinching when the pungent smell of infection hit her nose. A wound in his middle had become infected. It was hastily wrapped by Seiken himself, using the remains of his own clothing. Blood was leaking through it, however, contributing to an ever growing puddle on the floor around him.

"You're alive!" she said, flinging her arms around his battered form. He returned it, but just barely.

"Rina...my love..." he murmured. "I am afraid I will not last long..."

"Nonsense," the woman scoffed. "Fourth Division will take care of this, easy."

"No, Rina... I am sick again," he told her, shaking his head. "My times draws near... Please, I know this may be too much to ask of you, but will you kill me now and spare me the pain of a slow death?" he pleaded.

She drew back and he raised a hand to cup her cheek. His skin was cold and clammy. And, even in the half light, she could see that he was pale and trembling uncontrollably. Still, she searched his gaze for anything that told her that he really didn't mean it. All she saw was sorrow and pain. Despite this, she shook her head obstinately.

"There is no need for that. I will bring you back to Sereitei and Unohana-sempai will have you up in no time. You are simply delirious and unable to think straight." There was an edge of desperation in her voice. Against her will, tears began to fall.

"You know as well as I that I will not make it to Sereitei," he whispered. Somehow, he kept his voice even and calm and looked her directly in the eye while she was swiftly losing her composure. "Even the healers here said they could not do anything for me."

"No, no... They don't have Kido. They-"

"Please... Allow me to die looking into your beautiful eyes," he begged, tears streaming down his cheeks. "And please...tell dear Meiko that I love him, and that I always will. Take care of him, love him, and do not forget him in your grief." She choked back a sob, nodding.

Slowly, she reached for her cane, which lay on the floor beside them. She grabbed the handle, twisted, and pulled free the blade hidden within; one of her zanpakuto; before positioning it in front of his heart. When she hesitated and the point drifted away, he gently grabbed the blade and caught her gaze in his, holding it in its proper place.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, her voice cracking.

Before she could change her mind, she pressed against her sword and sank it deep into his heart. He gasped, and his eyes widened, but he still held her gaze. He drew one last breath and whispered.

"Thank you."

The life drained from his eyes and he went limp. Rina stood abruptly.

"I need ta go," she announced, her voice threatening to fail her.

When the bartender looked at her curiously, her vision suddenly blurred and the world started tilting. A strong grip on her upper arm stopped her from falling and allowed her to catch herself on the counter. Her leg injury started aching from the sudden movement.

"Hey, take it easy, hun," the bartender, Atsuko, said.

"Thank you," she murmured when he handed her her cane. "I'll see ya t'morrow or somethin'." Her words slurring from the alcohol.

"It's four in the morning," he said as she grabbed her sake bottle. "You should have someone go with you, Captain."

"Nah, 'T's fine," she mumbled.

"C'mon, I'll call up Hiroshi. You shouldn't go home alone-"

"I'm not some whore that needs a man with her e'ry night!" she snarled, making him flinch and step away.

"I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean it that way, Captain." She sighed.

"I'll be fine," she told him before limping out of the bar.

_He is right, Rina. You should have someone to walk you home. We are far from the mansion and it is unwise to be out for long when it is this dark, even in Sereitei,_ her zanpakuto, Futago, murmured from the back of her mind.

"Then maybe I'll go somewhere else other than home," she muttered.

_Rina, wait-_

She blocked him out before he gave her a headache and resumed stumbling down the dark streets of Sereitei. She was sore and delirious with exhaustion by the time she realized she was on grass. She was about to give up and sleep beside a tree or something when she slipped and fell into a body of water.

The woman came up sputtering and, despite her noble background, cursing over her spilled sake. She was about to storm out of the pond when she realized she had dropped her cane. Huffing in exasperation, she threw off all of her waterlogged clothing, minus her hakama and underclothes, and began searching for it.

Just as she wrapped her hand around the handle, she heard footsteps nearby. Without hesitation, she pulled the walking stick out of the mud and water, pulled the blade free, and pointed it in the direction of the noise. She squinted in the dark, trying to see who it was, but couldn't penetrate the inky blackness.

"Who's there?!" she demanded to know.

"Asaje?" came the surprised reply.

"Byakuya-san?" She lowered the sword. "The Kuchiki mansion... Of all the places to end up..." she muttered beneath her breath.

"What are you doing in my koi pond?" The poor man sounded exhausted.

"Gettin' yer koi drunk. I dropped my sake," she replied, sheathing her weapon and summoning a small ball of Kido to see by. She tucked her cane under her arm and held out her hand. "Help me out?"

He took her hand and helped her out of the pond, ignoring the water that started soaking through his thin, white yukata when she leaned on him. Seeing that half her clothing was thrown carelessly onto the shore, partially in the water, he averted his gaze. Rina hardly seemed to mind her unclothed condition. It wasn't the first time she was caught in this state of undress, and it wouldn't be the last.

"Come inside. I will get you dry clothing," he told her.

After she collected her wet uniform, she followed him up to the mansion. He showed her where she could hang her stuff to dry before pulling out a yukata for her. When she started stripping in front of him, he abruptly turned his back. To which she chuckled.

"I always figured ya fer a prude, Byakuya-san," she said, amused. "Even if ya spent all that time with Yoruichi-dono."

"I do not appreciate you changing here when there is a conjoined bathroom," he responded in a hard tone.

"No need, ya turned yer back fer me, already. Why so touchy? You can not tell me that ya've never seen a naked woman b'fore. I know you're not _that_ innocent," she purred, finishing up tying her sash and telling him that he could turn around now.

"Why are you out so late?" he inquired, changing the subject. She pursed her lips and leaned against her cane.

"Drinkin' 'til I puke. Well, I haven't done so yet...but ya get the idea."

"You should not be out alone, then," he commented.

"So I've been told," she muttered. "T'night's one of those nights when ya just don't want company, though. I'm sure you're familiar with 'em?" His expression changed, becoming unreadable.

"I understand," he said, looking to the side. "Would you like some tea?"

"I should go home..."

"So that you may fall into my koi pond once more?" he said dryly. "You will wait until dawn."

She sighed, resigning herself to her fate.

"I don't like tea. Do ya have more sake?" she asked hopefully.

"Even if I did, I would not allow you to have any," he retorted. "You have drunk enough."

"Well...fine. I'll jus' sit here an' wait 'til mornin', then," she told him stubbornly, seating herself on the cool floor.

He didn't protest her decision and instead returned to his desk, where he had been working before the disturbance. It seemed that the Squad 6 Captain couldn't sleep, either. When Rina came to peer over his shoulder, he did his best to ignore her.

"Calligraphy isn't somethin' that should be done at 5 o' clock in the mornin'. Even by someone as good as you, Byakuya-san," she pointed out. "Ya know, you question me 'bout stayin' up so late, so now it's my turn ta question you."

The fumes from her breath were enough to get him buzzed. Ignoring her question, he stood to get the tea he'd offered her earlier, despite her refusal. She would need it to re-hydrate her system. He would grab some aspirin, too. It would help prevent the inevitable headache.

"Oi, where're ya goin'?" she called.

"Sit. I'll be back."

She rolled her eyes as he left before sitting in the chair he had vacated. She absently rubbed her gimpy leg. The hour and the alcohol were starting to catch up with her. She looked up when he returned with two cups of tea. She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I said I didn't like tea."

"It will help you sleep," he told her, handing her the tea and some aspirin.

She stared at it tiredly for a few seconds before taking a tentative sip. A look of surprise crossed her face when she realized that he had put honey in it. This unexpected kindness wasn't something she had imagined coming from the noble. She lowered the cup and took the aspirin before looking at him.

"Ya didn't have to do this. 'Specially after I jus' barged into your garden unannounced like this," she said as he seated himself on the bed.

"Do you expect me to simply leave you?"

"Do ya want me ta lie or ta be honest?"

"Despite what you may think, I would not stoop so low as to send you away in the dead of night," he growled, sounding affronted.

"Despite what _you_ may think," she shot back somewhat mockingly, "I already know that. I didn't mean that you would kick me out. What I meant was that ya got me tea and aspirin and you're even lettin' me stay in yer room. That wasn't necessary."

"It would be pointless to make a room for you when you will only be staying for a few hours."

"Oh...well. No secret crushes, then?" she purred. He glared at her.

"No."

"Am I makin' this awkward, yet?"

"Enough, Asaje."

"You're no fun..." she huffed. "Though, I have ta say, ya make better company than those, pardon my language, blokes that hang 'round the bar."

She took a sip of her tea, which, to her dismay, never seemed to end. She was growing tired of the taste. Even the honey had stopped helping.

"Then why go there?" he responded.

"They're the only male companionship I can find at night. That's why I was alone. I wanted to have a night where I, for once, didn't have a man, or, uh, woman, tryin' ta get between my legs. Actu'lly, I wanna bunch o' nights like that, but what can ya do." She shrugged, taking another sip of her tea.

"Not go out."

"Not an option. I like gettin' drunk. I don't hafta care 'bout anythin'."

"I noticed." Though he hadn't realized that his fellow Captain was such a wreck. He wondered what could have happened to put her in such a condition, and exactly how long she'd been like this. Furthermore, it surprised him how well she could hide it. She maintained a fairly noble and proper posture in the daylight despite her obvious drinking problems at night.

"Y'know, since we're both insomniacs right now, why don't we be insomniacs together, or something?" she suggested. "I'd rather put up with yer boringness than put up with the bar folks' crap right 'bout now. 'Less ya plan on sleepin' t'morrow."

He thought for a second. He could always refuse, and she seemed like she didn't care either way. But he found that this disturbance, though talkative and mildly annoying, was a welcome change from the usual routine of doing calligraphy all night and remaining caught up in his own thoughts. He couldn't have her hanging around drunk all the time, though. He needed to draw the line somewhere.

"It's fine. As long as you are sober."

"What? That's dumb," she scoffed. "Bein' sober means I have to care 'bout stuff."

He wondered if being sober meant she was quieter, as well. He didn't remember her speaking quite this much at the Captains' meetings or the clan gatherings. In fact, she seemed a little reserved, even when she was speaking with others. As if she were caught up in other thoughts.

Only now did she really engage in the conversation, without allowing her thoughts to stray elsewhere like usual. It was somewhat ironic, considering how intoxicated she was. He made the connection that she had been like this ever since the rebel war. Perhaps it had something to do with Seiken's death.

"Those are my only conditions," he insisted. She rolled her eyes.

"'Kay, how 'bout only one bottle, then? I'll even bring it ta share with ya," she tried to negotiate the terms. "Then, I won't be nearly as drunk as I am now. It takes a lot to get me to this point, now. Sake's become like water to me."

"Fine." Deciding that it was a good compromise.

They sat in silence, taking the chance to finish their tea. By the time Rina placed the empty cup on the desk, she looked exhausted. As if she were about to fall asleep in the chair. He himself was growing drowsy, as well. And only now was he trying to put together a plan on who was going to sleep where. His brain refused to be a part of his planning, unfortunately.

"We sharin'?" the woman asked tiredly. "I won't do anythin'... I swear. I'll even pinky swear it..."

Honestly, he was too fatigued to protest. At the moment, it was as good an idea as any. He nodded in confirmation. She got up slowly and limped over to the side of the bed opposite the one he was sitting on. She collapsed into it without another word and curled up beneath the blankets. Byakuya joined her a second later, putting his back to her. Within minutes, they were both asleep.


	15. God of War, Part 8

Welp, this is the second last part for GOW. I'm sorry if it seems to end abruptly. Like I said, we never got around to finishing it and I don't think we ever will. This was an alternate universe based on 'What if Rin hadn't run away?'. I hope you guys enjoy it, and that you're not too impatient for the next stories we plan on posting. We have a few on the go, the sequel, another AU (very long, still WIP), and a couple of short stories, one that's unfinished and one that we can't post until we've done enough chapter in the sequel. Thanks for reading, and please review!

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**Chapter 7**

It was the last day of July, the day before what Aizen predicted was the day Soul Society would be invaded by those from the World of the Living. A few days before their plans really began, though. Central 46 had been eliminated over a week ago, not an hour after Kuchiki Rukia had been found. Their chambers had become a meeting place for Rina, Gin, Aizen, and Kaname, the four top conspirators.

The week had been filled with little missions to help set everything up. Distracting Aika, checking power levels of the odd shinigami, planning out who would be trouble and who wouldn't. Esaki Daisuke's Bankai was of particular interest, considering its nature. Aizen suspected that he would be a serious problem in the future if they didn't do something.

They were in one of the buildings, houses, that belonged to one of the late Central 46 members. While Rina sat in the chair by the desk, the other three were standing. It was too much of a bother for her to stand too long during a meeting like this, which were often long and drawn out. Fortunately, they were also few and far between.

"Or a great strength if we did something to make that power ours," Rina broke in while Gin and Aizen were discussing the matter of Daisuke.

"He ain't lookin' for power, so ferget negotiation," Gin told her.

"Everyone wants power, Gin," she pointed out. "Otherwise, we would not all be here, now would we?"

"Still, he ain't gonna buy it. Elimination is our best bet." Aizen watched their discussion thoughtfully.

"Or perhaps we could do with an experiment. Szayel would be pleased to study a specimen such as him," the brown haired man purred.

"Then we will need to set up something that will have him wandering into our grasp," the woman murmured. "And then something to stop him from using Bankai. From what you say, Gin, it sounds fairly unstable." The Lieutenant claimed that there was huge fluctuations in Daisuke's power while he fought with Bankai. "Meaning it is also very dangerous."

They all fell silent, looking to Aizen. From the look on his face, they could tell that he was thinking. His smirk widened ever so slightly and he leaned down to whisper something into Rina's ear. The woman listened quietly, her expression unreadable. When he finally pulled away, she glanced over at him.

"Most of my nights are planned now," she told him.

"Make the time, Rina. I want this done before the end of the week. Things will fall into place quickly," he informed her. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Of course. It will be done before then," she replied.

"Tonight."

"Tonight," she agreed. "But where do you expect me to get-"

He raised a finger, stopping her, before pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to her. She glanced down at the object in her hand, then at the smirking man with a raised eyebrow. It seemed that he had been planning this for a little while now if he already had the equipment she needed.

"It will be a simple matter for you, no?" he purred.

"If what you say about him is correct, then I have no doubt that I can get it done, Aizen," she replied, nodding. Her fingers curled around the object before she tucked it away inside her robes. Having it so close would force her to get the job done quickly before it started affecting her. "What else do we need to discuss?"

"Zaraki Kenpachi," Tosen spoke up. "You have mentioned the danger he will be to us in the past. His actions are completely unpredictable, as well."

"When the time comes, Kaname, you will be able to handle him," Aizen replied. He was far less concerned about that variable. "How is Aika-chan doing, Rina?"

The man watched the subtle play of emotion on the woman's face when he brought up her friend. Or former friend. Rina was sure that Aika would never speak to her again after what she had done. It was, however, for the best. She would rather have the small woman be angry with her than tossed into a pile of dead with the rest to be burned. When the time came, Aika would live. Aizen himself had promised her that.

"She is not able to decline without losing face," Rina replied. "I believe she is still trying to work things out. Now that the entire noble population knows what's going on, though, it will be doubly hard to cancel her and Ryu-kun's marriage."

She had hated using her nephew this way, as well. Junko had not minded too much. In fact, she had been all for the idea of betrothing her to the well-known Captain. Rina had been relieved to hear that the young man hadn't reacted that badly, either.

Mostly, he was just nervous and afraid. This was no surprise, Aika's reiatsu alone most likely gave him the shivers. She noticed that he was tense whenever she was around, as well. He was simply unused to being around such power. Such things would wane with time.

"Very good. Is that everything?" Aizen asked. When silence met him, he continued, "Tomorrow, the Ryoka will arrive in Soul Society. They will land in the Western Districts, in Junrinan. Gin, I would like you to patrol the area tomorrow and prevent their entry into Sereitei should Jidanbo fail in his task."

"Is that necessary? Jidanbo hasn't been defeated in 200 years. I doubt a rookie would be able to defeat him," Rina commented tiredly.

"Jidanbo's skills have grown dull with time. The Sereitei wall has not been threatened since the time of the rebellion over 70 years ago," Kaname pointed out.

"Indeed. Also, Kurosaki Ichigo is evolving at an astonishing rate," Aizen picked up where the dark skinned man left off. "I expect him to be of Captain level by the end of the week. Jidanbo is simply the first step in that direction."

Everyone gave him shocked looks.

"End of the week?" Rina said in disbelief. "I think you have finally gone off the deep end, Aizen. You are implying that he can achieve Bankai within that time. That's impossible."

"You know better, Rina. It is not at all impossible."

The other two seemed to be completely lost on the conversation, but Rina shot him a surprised look.

"You put far too much faith in this human. Kisuke was exceptionally skilled. Not to mention that he had been a shinigami for years before that. This boy has not even seen his first year with his powers," she argued.

"He is not a simple human. Also, it is Urahara Kisuke himself that trains the boy right as we speak. Consider him an experiment of mine. I do not want any of you killing or fighting with him unless I give you the order," he told them. "Please inform your Lieutenant of these orders as well, Rina. I have other plans for Junko-chan."

"Hai, Aizen," she agreed. The other two gave their confirmation as well.

They left after that, with Kaname staying to take his turn watching the chambers. The sun was already beginning to sink when the remaining three parted ways upon leaving the building. Rina would have to start her task almost immediately, since Aizen seemed to be growing slightly impatient as everything started getting heated up. He usually got like this in light of a big event, so this behaviour was nothing odd to the woman.

She didn't really want to miss out on sneaking into Byakuya's garden that night, though, even if it was for the sake of Aizen and his plans. Their plans. She was loathe to admit that she had come to enjoy his company more than she let on.

She wasn't quite sure if the noble man liked having her around or not. He hadn't kicked her out, yet, though, and she was sure that he would if he was really annoyed, so she assumed that he hadn't grown tired of her.

Regardless, she was trying to figure out a way to avoid wasting all of her time completing her task with Esaki while still pulling off what Aizen wanted her to do. It would be no easy task if she didn't get close enough to him. But she wasn't keen to spend time with another bar dwelling oaf like the ones she usually did. She had been trying to take a break from them, not get herself into a mission involving one.

As she limped down the emptying streets of Sereitei on her way to one of the bars the dark man was known to frequent; she knew this because he was a bit of a celebrity among the women; she pulled the object Aizen had given her out of her robes and looked at it. Sekkiseki stone. Just a small fragment, but still enough to weaken the man a great deal over the next week. Constant exposure to even a tiny piece could reduce someone to almost useless if given the time.

Aizen had instructed her to slip the stone beneath his skin in the centre of his chest, near the Hakusui; the source of a shinigami's spiritual power. He had already cloaked it using Kyoka Suigetsu so only she could see, feel, smell, anything with it. He had informed her that he would take care of the wound that would result from this, as well.

It was a devilish plan. With luck, the stone wouldn't be discovered even after their plan came together. Weakening the man to the point where they would be able to do what they needed with him. Aizen, being the control freak, master planner that he was, seemed to know what he was doing with Daisuke. Even if he didn't tell her what now.

Which was probably the most irritating thing about working with the man. He was secretive, even around his subordinates. Less so with her and Gin, who were no longer pawns but closer. Closer than Kaname, who Aizen enjoyed manipulating more than working with.

Still, the powerful man enjoyed springing things on them at the last minute. It was a pain in the ass to get anything out of him, and she and Gin both knew that their efforts to do so amused him to no end. He would give them what they wanted to know eventually, but not before leading them along for quite a while.

Another thing about working with him: The Espada. She had been to Hueco Mundo and the enormous palace known as Las Noches in the past. She remembered initially being angry that Aizen was consorting with monsters, to which he pointed out that they were no different than shinigami, only with a few hollow powers and characteristics.

He had gone on to tell her that breaking the barrier between shinigami and hollow was the only way to go beyond what a species is capable of in the first place. Aizen explained that this is what he had meant in surpassing the restraints of a shinigami. She had been shocked to learn that this had been the fate of quite a few Captains and Lieutenants. Angry to learn that Aikawa Love was among them.

This had to be where most of her doubts came from. She didn't like consorting with hollows. To her, it was wrong. Aizen, Gin, and, surprisingly, Kaname, didn't seem all that concerned, but she couldn't get used to it. Especially upon learning that the Espada and their Fraccion, second-in-commands, together had the capabilities to out power the Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13.

Most of the Espada had something wrong with them, as well. A majority of them were savage, inhumane, and lovers of war, chaos, and destruction. What scared her more was that she was not much different from them. Savage, inhumane... A demon, like them.

Aizen accepted the fact that she didn't like the arrancar, any of them, and spared her from going to Hueco Mundo unless no one else was available. She had, on more than one occasion, been sent to recruit into their ranks, as well. And she had also chosen to kill the particular savage ones that she couldn't bear to see given the power of an arrancar. Some times, she wondered if Aizen knew that she did this. If so, he didn't feel the need to stop her.

She had to accept the fact that the arrancar would play a key part in their plans in the near future. She hoped Aizen would keep them in Hueco Mundo once they had taken over, though. She wanted nothing to do with the disgusting and unnatural creatures. They reminded her far too much of herself.

She found the place she was looking for and slipped inside. Her presence in the bar drew quite a bit of attention, since it wasn't one of the places she went to often. She scanned the room in search of her target, ignoring the fearful gazes of the other patrons. He wasn't there. She walked across the room towards the counter.

"Is Esaki Daisuke here?" she questioned the bartender.

"N-no," he said, shaking his head.

He gestured towards a group of women chatting in a corner. Rina followed his pointing finger to look at them. Some were casting looks her way. When they saw the bartender motioning towards them, though, the chatter subsided, their smiles faded, and they all fell silent to watch.

"T-that group over there, Captain Asaje. They're always with him when he c-comes."

Frowning, she pulled some kan from her pockets and slapped it down on the counter. Once she got her sake, she limped over to the group of women. Some had already fled, she noticed, but the braver ones had chosen to stay. It didn't matter as long as one of them could tell her where she could find the man she was looking for.

"Where is Esaki Daisuke?" she demanded, stopping beside their table.

"Is he in trouble, Captain Asaje?" one of the girls asked.

"You have no right to question me," Rina snarled, making them shrink back. "Tell me where he is. Now."

"H-he said that he was staying home tonight," another whispered. "He couldn't come tonight. He has work tomorrow."

Rina sighed deeply. It meant that she would have to head all the way over to the 2nd Division to find the man. Wasting yet more of her time. She fixed her glare on the last girl to speak. When she motioned for her to stand and come to her, she obeyed. The poor thing looked terrified. Pitying her, the Captain made an effort to lower her reiatsu a little.

"Take me to his room, then. You can return, unpunished," she added, making her sigh in relief, "once your task is done. As long as you do not lead me astray, of course. We will leave immediately."

"Hai, Captain Asaje," the girl said, bowing.

With her in the lead, the two left the bar and made their way to the 2nd Division.

At first, it seemed like any other night. The girls had tried to drag Daisuke out to the bar with him, but he had told them, apologetically, that he needed to stop staying out late. He had proceeded to make some tea, put on some pyjama pants he had gotten from the World of the Living, and settle down to read for a little while before going to bed.

It was getting late, and he was about to turn in, when there was a knock at the door. As soon as he opened the door, the woman on the other side planted the bottom of her cane in the centre of his chest. She pushed him back inside.

"In," she ordered. "So that I may close the door."

"C-Captain Asaje?" he said in astonishment, stepping back to let her in.

He would recognize this woman anywhere. Even though she wasn't wearing her haori, the jinbaori was just as familiar to him. Few people within Sereitei, and even in Rukongai, wouldn't know the name Asaje Rina, or the Akuma Asaje.

As she closed the door, he watched, more than a little dumbfounded. The last person he had expected to be at his doorstep was the Demon of War herself. He couldn't fathom why she was here. He hadn't yet determined whether her presence was a good thing, though. Her expression was unreadable.

"Greetings, Esaki-kun," she said, leaning against the door.

He was surprised by how leisurely she addressed him. Suggesting that she wasn't here for business, just like her lack of a haori did. He bowed to her respectfully.

"Greetings, Captain Asaje. What brings you to my home?" he asked. She raised one eyebrow at the slight tremor that he couldn't keep from his voice.

"Asaje-san is fine. And you can relax, I only kill my enemies, not my allies," she told him, looking mildly amused.

"Of course, Cap- Asaje-san," he corrected himself.

She took a step closer. He noticed that she was playing with something in her free hand, though he was unable to see what.

"Would you like some sake?" she offered. "Before I drink it all."

"No... My apologies, Asaje-san, but I don't drink. Would you like to sit down?"

He motioned towards the two chairs and couch situated around a small table. She looked at him like he was crazy. As she moved to sit down on the couch, she muttered.

"You poor man. How could anyone not like sake?" She was shaking her head. "If you buy the good stuff, it does not taste bad at all."

"I'm not really a fan of the alcoholic aftertaste," he told her.

"Like I said, buy the good stuff," she advised.

She patted the couch beside her, silently telling him to sit. When he did, the corner of her lip twitched up in a half smirk. It didn't seem completely sincere, though. It was off-set by the constant air of melancholy that seemed to hang around her. As if she were perpetually sad about something. If he had known her better, he might have questioned her. At the moment, he remained silent.

"How long have you had Bankai, Esaki-kun?" she asked. "Is it perfected?"

He paused. He wasn't surprised that she knew about his Bankai, but he wondered why she was asking him about it. It seemed to be a topic she had pulled off the top of her head. She hadn't yet told him her reason for being there, either. He frowned, feeling a bit nervous. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know why she was there.

"I have had Bankai for about 70 years now," he replied. "But it's still unstable. I'm not sure I'll be able to do anything about that, though. I've been training for a long time with it."

"Well, considering the nature of your Bankai," -Now this surprised him a little more, had Soi-Fon told the Captains that much about his powers?- "it most likely has something to do with power output once you have absorbed enough reiatsu.

"My Bankai, though it does not absorb like yours does, outputs a lot of power at once. It took me a while to control it enough to direct it at my enemy instead of at everyone else. It is not exactly the same, but that may be your problem.

"I would suggest training alone or with one other against little hollows, so that you may learn to control your power once you have absorbed a lot. That is your problem, correct? You find it hard to control once you reach a certain point in your power level."

"Yeah, pretty much." He nodded. "Thank you for the advice," he said sincerely. "I will try that out some time."

It was getting late, but he didn't want to be rude and kick out the Captain. Plus, he still wanted to know why she was really there. He figured that she would bring it up soon. Hopefully before it became just another night where he stayed up too late again.

That's when he noticed how close she was. And how warm. Sure, it wasn't the coolest night, but she shouldn't be this warm. He jumped when he felt her fingers against his upper arm, tracing the tattoo there like Yukiko had before her.

"Nice tattoo," she murmured.

"Thanks..."

Her touch was also very warm. He turned to her, opening his mouth to change the subject back to why she was there in the first place. She was fast, though, swiftly pinning him to the couch cushions beneath them and positioning herself so that she was straddling his hips. His heart was pounding against his ribs. She watched his expression like a cat watches its prey.

"Asaje-san, wai-" he began to protest.

She leaned over and placed a finger over his lips. Her robes were loose, giving him a glimpse of her cleavage. He gently grabbed her wrist to pull it away, but her touch was far more firm and domineering than his. She wouldn't let him remove her hand.

"I was looking for companionship tonight and your girls recommended you," she told him. Her piercing blue gaze held his own as he felt her free hand travel up his bare chest. "But it is to my understanding that you have work early tomorrow morning."

There was a sharp pain in the centre of his chest that made him grimace, but he was more focused on the woman on top of him.

"So I will leave you to sleep and perhaps return another night. I expect you to keep silent about this, Esaki-kun."

She smirked down at him before she stood. She grabbed her things and left before he could say a word to her. He was still surprised that she had come at all. He really didn't know what to make of the whole experience. Remembering the sake she had with her, he passed it off as the Captain getting a little too drunk. It was well known that she was a drinker just like Captain Kyouraku.

As he sat up and rubbed the aching spot on his chest, he wondered if he should catch up to her and walk her home, if that were the case. It was more likely that she would be insulted by this kindness, however.

He walked to his bathroom to see if she had maybe scratched him and left a cut. Sure enough, there was a bit of swelling and blood. Once he had taken care of the wound, he chose to forget about the carousing Captain and head to bed.


	16. IMPORTANT! Please read!

I have decided that, since something glitched the first time I posted NLMF (Never Let Me Fall) I will be taking it down and re-posting it. Once I've finished God of War (found in Monsters Under the Bed) I will take it down and post a new chapter from NLMF every second day, just to give you guys some warning. Thanks for reading. Also, I plan on touching it up as I go, so if you ever re-read you may see some new things I threw in. ;)

~Fatal


	17. God of War, Part 9

**Chapter 8**

Perhaps even the form of a cat was not enough to fool all of the shinigami within Sereitei. When Yoruichi had landed after being separated from the others upon bypassing the barrier, she had used a Kido spell in which to distract them with. That Kido spell had left remnants of her reiatsu behind, reiatsu that, if one looked closely enough, was still found in residual amounts in her fur. Any Kido expert would know that one would need to be exceptionally close to the spell in order to possess any amount at all.

Logic dictated that she should leave the area, so that the shinigami that had felt the reiatsu from the spell would not sense it on her. However, there was information to be gained in this sector of Sereitei that she thought was well worth the risk. Anyways, who would pay attention to a simple black cat like her?

Apparently, a lot of people. It was only her second day in Sereitei. She should have been paying more attention, but she had been tailing a fairly high ranking officer that was speaking with someone on his soul pager, giving her valuable information. The shinigami had picked her up from behind, holding her in an uncomfortably tight grip as he studied her.

"This can't be right..." he muttered. "Could you be-"

"Ah, I see you've found Gilepsi, Hasiki-chan."

All of Yoruichi's fur began bushing out when she heard this voice. She forced it to lie flat, though, as another pair of hands relinquished her from her first captor. These were must more mindful hands, fortunately. They even had the decency to pet her and give her a scratch behind the ear, while they were at it.

"C-Captain Asaje..." Hasiki stuttered, bowing politely. Yoruichi sensed something off about the atmosphere, all of a sudden. "Please, I would prefer-"

"Thank you, Hasiki-chan," Rina cut him off. "You can go back to work, now."

One of the hands stopped petting her long enough to wave off the shinigami, a member of Rina's squad, Yoruichi assumed. The Captain then walked away. Her gait, much to the black cat's surprise, was uneven, awkward, and slow. It had been a long time since she had seen this woman, so she wasn't quite sure what had happened in the past hundred years.

"So careless, Yoruichi-dono," Rina murmured. "This is not how I remembered you at all."

"Rina-chan. Long time no see. A hundred years is a long time."

"Too long. I wish you would come and visit me."

"I was exiled. I stayed out of Sereitei after that," Yoruichi replied. "But this is not a good place to talk."

"Indeed. Usual place?"

"Yes."

The usual place was, in fact, a cave located in the side of Soukyoku. Rina sealed of her reiatsu in order to move about undetected. This was the location of the entrance to the secret underground training area Yoruichi and Kisuke had built over a century ago. Within, everything was dusty and neglected. The two women still managed to make themselves comfortable, though.

"Hasiki-_chan_? You are not one to use such honorifics, Rina-chan," Yoruichi commented once they were settled. She was eyeing the other's cane and her hand, which was rubbing her leg absently.

"It is meant to be demeaning. I hate him, the annoying bastard," Rina replied, her tone just as absent and distracted.

"Ah. Care to explain the cane?"

"Things happened."

"Why was it not healed, though?"

"They did not reach me in time. Why are you here, Yoruichi-dono?" she swiftly changed the subject, shifting into a more comfortable position as well. "Do not tell me you are with those foolish ryoka."

The black cat studied her former student. There was something about her tone that suggested a deeper meaning to her words. Even in the question she asked, there was deception and knowledge that she should not possess at this point in time. Her eyes narrowed a little.

"Why ask? You knew I would come, Rina-chan. You know why, too."

"I do. I could not quite believe it, but it seems they were correct in predicting your arrival along with those humans," she spat the words with disgust, one of the many shinigami to undermine the race more than they deserved. "They say Kisuke is behind this, as well. I should have known that, if he was a part of this plan, then so would you. I have been keeping an eye out for you, though, regardless of my doubt."

Yoruichi looked at her in bewilderment. It wasn't possible for her to know all this. Not without connections in the World of the Living. Or perhaps connections with people who had connections in the World of the Living, judging by her use of 'they'. But who exactly knew of this? Yoruichi could certainly name a few.

"Who is 'they'?"

Rina waved dismissively.

"It doesn't matter. You should be going, now. Do not expect me to bail you out of trouble again, though, Yoruichi-dono. Do not worry, I have no intention of speaking of this conversation, or of your presence at all. Continue with your plans, I will enjoy seeing this unfold."

Scrutinizingly, the black cat stared at the woman. She was different from before, melancholy and somehow darker. There was something callous and uncaring in her tone now, in the way she spoke, even in her actions.

She did not speak of Seiken, either, whom Yoruichi had been somewhat eager to see. She had wanted to know if he and Rina had finally stopped sneaking away at night and dancing around their feelings for each other. Now it seemed that talking about anything from the past would by like lighting a match in a room full of gasoline: A very bad idea.

She wanted to ask how Aika was, if she was now Captain liked she deserved to be. She and Rina had worked hard to get her to join the Gotei 13 against her ojii-san's wishes. It would be nice to see if it had paid off. But instead of asking these questions, the black cat simply remained quiet. Watching the broken woman before her as she lost herself in her own thoughts.

Bad things had happened, she knew that for sure. There were so many secrets bubbling beneath the surface that it almost made her fur stand on end. It took a lot of self control not to let that happen. This was not at all what Yoruichi had expected from her reunion with Rina. Now, there was a yawning gap between them, filled with dark things.

"Leave before I change my mind, Yoruichi-dono," Rina suddenly snarled, her eyes alighting with rage. "It is not safe to remain!"

Finally, the black cat obeyed. She turned and left the younger woman to her own devices, not quite sure if it was a good idea. Yet, when faced with so little options due to the predicament she had placed herself in, she was forced to leave even if it was not the greatest choice to make.

There was something familiar about the melancholy around Rina. It was something borne of dark knowledge and secrets that no one should be forced to keep. Yes, she had seen this very atmosphere around Kisuke, though off-set with his cheery mask. Rina didn't bother. And it seemed that she hadn't bothered in quite a long time, now.

She wanted to go to Aika and discuss this change in her friend, but the small woman's reaction to her presence was not one she was able to predict. Her limited options were most certainly not something she wished to endure. She hoped things would change once Kuchiki Rukia's execution had been sorted out. Maybe then she would be able to speak with her.

For now, she needed to return to gathering information. It was an undoubted fact that none of the others would bother to do so, so she would need to double her efforts to cover for them.


End file.
